Ampcus, Inc.

B-415780 Mar 16, 2018 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Ampcus, Inc., a small business of Chantilly, Virginia, challenges the award of a contract to Cybermedia Technologies, Inc. d/b/a/ CTEC (CTEC), a small business of Reston, Virginia, under request for quotation (RFQ) No. OPM3217T0009, issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for information technology (IT) services for OPM's Retirement Services IT Program Management Office (RSIPMO). Ampcus challenges the agency's evaluation of its quotation. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of:  Ampcus, Inc. File:  B-415780 Date:  March 16, 2018 Samir Sankaran, for the protester. Matthew Donohue, Esq., and Austin Fulk, Esq., Office of Personnel Management, for the agency. Lois Hanshaw, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protester's challenge to the agency's evaluation of its quotation is denied where the record shows that the agency's evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. DECISION Ampcus, Inc., a small business of Chantilly, Virginia, challenges the award of a contract to Cybermedia Technologies, Inc. d/b/a/ CTEC (CTEC), a small business of Reston, Virginia, under request for quotation (RFQ) No. OPM3217T0009, issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for information technology (IT) services for OPM's Retirement Services IT Program Management Office (RSIPMO).  Ampcus challenges the agency's evaluation of its quotation. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFQ, a small business set-aside, was issued on February 8, 2017, to holders of General Services Administration (GSA) IT Schedule 70 contracts pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4 for a hybrid fixed-price and labor-hour task order for IT support services for the RSIPMO's daily operations and maintenance and development, modification, and enhancement of existing systems.[1]  AR, Tab 3.1, RFQ at 1, 6; Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 21.[2]  These systems provide mission critical functionality for calculating the estimated pay annuity for retired federal employees and employees planning for retirement; updating federal employees' health benefits and the process to compare and change benefits; and developing and maintaining automated systems that support the Retirement and Insurance Trust Fund financial management programs.  RFQ, PWS, at 21.  The RFQ provided for a period of performance of a base year and four option years.  RFQ at 7. The RFQ contemplated award on a best-value tradeoff basis considering the following evaluation factors, listed in descending order of importance:  management approach, corporate experience, past performance, and price.  Id. at 6, 16.  The RFQ stated that non-price factors, when combined, would be significantly more important than price.  Id. at 16.  As relevant here, the RFQ advised that the technical volume should be written so that management and technically-oriented personnel could make a thorough evaluation and arrive at a sound determination as to whether the quotation met the solicitation requirements.  Id. at 11-12.  In this regard, the RFQ stated that the technical quotation must be "so specific, detailed and complete" as to clearly and fully demonstrate a vendor's understanding.  Id. at 12. For the management approach factor, the RFQ required offerors to address four areas, including, as relevant here, key personnel.[3]  Id. at 12-13.  The RFQ required that vendors' key personnel submit resumes showing qualifications that met PWS requirements, and that non-key personnel meet the prescribed minimum requirements for each labor category identified in the RFQ.[4]  Id.  Additionally, the PWS included a section entitled "summary of requirements" that contained a provision that required contractors to provide key and non-key personnel with IT experience to support the software development and enhancement of existing systems.  RFQ, PWS at 22.  The list of desired technical skills required to support the systems for this procurement included COBOL and CICS programming languages.  RFQ at 54, 55. The RFQ stated that the management approach factor would be evaluated for effectiveness in meeting the solicitation requirements.  Id. at 17. With regard to corporate experience, the RFQ required vendors to submit a narrative demonstrating recent and relevant corporate experience performed as either a prime contractor or joint venture that was similar to the PWS requirements.[5]  Id. at 14.  In evaluating this factor, the agency would compare the opportunities in which the vendor had to learn by doing on projects of a similar size, scope, and complexity to the solicitation requirements.  Id.