Global Logistics Providers, LLC

B-416843 Dec 26, 2018 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Global Logistics Providers, LLC (Global), of Stamford, Connecticut, protests the award of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts to four other firms by the Department of the Army, Regional Contracting Office-Africa, under request for proposals (RFP) No. W56PFY-18-R-0001, for surface distribution services within the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) area of responsibility (AOR). Global protests that the agency's evaluation ignored parts of its proposal and was unreasonable. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Global Logistics Providers, LLC File: B-416843 Date: December 26, 2018 Bryant E. Gardner, Esq., and Brooke F. Shapiro, Esq., Winston & Strawn LLP, for the protester. Stephen Smith, Esq., and Scott N. Flesch, Esq., Department of the Army, for the agency. John Sorrenti, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging the agency's evaluation of protester's proposal is denied where the record shows that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation's evaluation criteria. DECISION Global Logistics Providers, LLC (Global), of Stamford, Connecticut, protests the award of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts to four other firms by the Department of the Army, Regional Contracting Office-Africa, under request for proposals (RFP) No. W56PFY-18-R-0001, for surface distribution services within the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) area of responsibility (AOR). Global protests that the agency's evaluation ignored parts of its proposal and was unreasonable. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFP, issued on March 29, 2018, contemplated award of up to four IDIQ contracts for the surface distribution services. RFP, Amendment 0005, at 2. Under the RFP, the contractors will be required to provide secure intra-theater surface transportation and distribution of cargo within all 55 countries of the USAFRICOM AOR and Egypt. RFP Amend. 0004, Performance Work Statement (PWS) § 1.0. Contractors must provide all resources to perform the services, including logistics support and management to perform surface transport and distribution of cargo within all the countries. Id. § 1.2. The contractors also will have to obtain all necessary licenses and permits to operate in the applicable countries and must comply with the laws, codes, and regulations of each country within the AFRICOM AOR. Id. In addition to the surface transportation services, contractors may be required to perform a variety of other transportation services, including providing daily situation reports, obtaining customs clearance and border crossings, establishing cargo staging areas and transfer sites, and providing material handling equipment and cargo handling at the origin, staging, and destination areas. Id. § 1.3. The RFP required proposals to be "precise, factual and describe in sufficient detail how the proposed method(s) will meet the requirements set forth in the solicitation and the PWS." RFP, Amend. 0003, at 2. Offerors were required to submit both an original and a redacted copy of their proposals. Id. at 3. In response to questions regarding the redacted copy of the proposals, the agency explained that offerors were to redact the "Company's Name, Address, LOGO's, and anything that will identify the company." Id., Amend. 0002 at 6-7. The RFP stated that award would be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering the following factors: technical, past performance, and price. RFP at 95. The technical factor had two subfactors: technical approach and experience. Id. For each subfactor, proposals were rated as outstanding, good, acceptable, marginal, or unacceptable. Id. at 96-97. Proposals had to receive a rating of no less than acceptable for the technical factor, including both subfactors, to be considered for award. Id. at 95. As relevant here, for the experience subfactor, the RFP identified three different elements and required offerors to "demonstrate that they have experiences in providing similar requirements" as described in each element. RFP, Amend. 0003, at 4. Offerors were instructed to provide "detailed, descriptive documentation that demonstrates and addresses the required performance outlined in the PWS in multiple regions and multiple countries in Africa." Id. The projects that offerors relied on to demonstrate the experience had to be similar or greater in size, scope, magnitude, and complexity to the effort required by the RFP. Id.