G2 Global Solutions, LLC (HHM402-18-Q-0002)

B-416981.5 Jan 24, 2020 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights G2 Global Solutions, LLC (G2), a small business of Gainesville, Virginia, protests the decision by the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), to take corrective action in response to a protest filed by Grand Ground Enterprise, LLC, d/b/a Advisory Technical Consultants (ATC), a small business of Washington, D.C., under request for quotations (RFQ) No. HHM402-18-Q-0002, for operational counter-intelligence (CI) analysis support services. G2 argues that the agency's decision to terminate the firm's order and cancel the solicitation is unreasonable. 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:  G2 Global Solutions, LLC File:  B-416981.5 Date:  January 24, 2020 Isaias Alba IV, Esq., Timothy F. Valley, Esq., Anthony M. Batt, Esq., and Lauren R. Brier, Esq.,  Piliero Mazza PLLC, for the protester.  Michael Ahl, Esq., Max D. Houtz, Esq., Christopher Kovach, Esq., Gregory A. Moritz, Esq., Defense Intelligence Agency, for the agency.  Robert T. Wu, Esq., and Peter H. Tran, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging the agency’s decision to take corrective action by terminating the award of a task order to the protester, cancelling the solicitation, and devising a new acquisition strategy is denied where the record shows that the agency’s decision to take corrective action was reasonable and supported by the record. DECISION G2 Global Solutions, LLC (G2), a small business of Gainesville, Virginia, protests the decision by the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), to take corrective action in response to a protest filed by Grand Ground Enterprise, LLC, d/b/a Advisory Technical Consultants (ATC), a small business of Washington, D.C., under request for quotations (RFQ) No. HHM402-18-Q-0002, for operational counter-intelligence (CI) analysis support services.  G2 argues that the agency’s decision to terminate the firm’s order and cancel the solicitation is unreasonable. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On May 3, 2018, DIA posted the RFQ through the General Services Administration’s (GSA) e-Buy system.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 2.1, Contracting Officer’s Statement (COS), at 1; Tab 9, Contracting Officer’s Memorandum for Record (CO MFR), at 1.  The RFQ was set aside for 8(a) small business vendors holding a GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), Professional Services Schedule, Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (MOBIS), Special Item Number (SIN) 874-1, Integrated Consulting Services contract.  CO’s MFR at 1.  The solicitation contemplated the issuance of a time-and-materials task order for a full range of CI support services, with a 1-year base period and four 1-year options.  AR, Tab 4.1, RFQ, at 3, 78. The RFQ notified vendors that the competition would be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4, and that the resulting task order would be issued to the vendor that submitted the lowest-priced quotation meeting the government’s needs.  Id. at 119.  Quotations were to be evaluated for technical acceptability under the solicitation’s two non-price factors, which were identified as security/8(a) verification and technical capability.  Id.  The security/8(a) verification factor was to be evaluated on a pass or fail basis, while quotations were to be rated either acceptable or unacceptable under the technical capability factor.  Id. at 119, 121. The solicitation cautioned vendors that “[a]ny unacceptable rating in any non-price factor or subfactor will result in an overall technically unacceptable rating in which such [quotation] will not be considered.”  Id. at 119. On June 5, 2018, four quotations were received, including one from ATC and one from G2.  COS at 2.  After an evaluation of quotations, the agency issued the task order to ATC on September 27.  Id.  G2 filed a protest with our Office challenging the agency’s award decision.  Id.  On November 28, the agency notified our Office that it intended to take corrective action, and, as a result, we dismissed the protest as academic.  See G2 Global Solutions, LLC, B-416981, B-416981.2, Dec.