ActioNet, Inc.

B-417173,B-417173.2 Mar 05, 2019 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights ActioNet, Inc., of Vienna, Virginia, protests the issuance of a blanket purchase agreement against the Federal Supply Schedule to Accenture Federal Services, LLC, of Arlington, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. DE-SOL-0008790, issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) for information technology (IT) services. ActioNet, the incumbent contractor, alleges that the agency unreasonably evaluated quotations and improperly made its source selection decision. 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:  ActioNet, Inc. File:  B-417173; B-417173.2 Date:  March 5, 2019 Lawrence P. Block, Esq., Lawrence S. Sher, Esq., Holly Roth, Esq., Elizabeth Leavy, Esq., and Manasi Venkatesh, Esq., Reed Smith LLP, for the protester.- Amy L. O’Sullivan, Esq., Olivia L. Lynch, Esq., Puja Satiani, Esq., and Laura J. Mitchell Baker, Esq., Crowell & Moring LLP, for Accenture Federal Services, LLC, the intervenor. Stephanie B. Young, Esq., H. Jack Shearer, Esq., and Kevin R. Hilferty, Esq., Department of Energy, for the agency. Todd C. Culliton, Esq., and Tania Calhoun, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest that the agency unreasonably evaluated the protester’s quotation is denied where the record shows that the agency’s evaluation was consistent with the solicitation and applicable procurement statutes and regulations. DECISION ActioNet, Inc., of Vienna, Virginia, protests the issuance of a blanket purchase agreement against the Federal Supply Schedule to Accenture Federal Services, LLC, of Arlington, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. DE-SOL‑0008790, issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) for information technology (IT) services.  ActioNet, the incumbent contractor, alleges that the agency unreasonably evaluated quotations and improperly made its source selection decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On November 15, 2017, the agency issued the RFQ to all Schedule 70, Special Item Number 132-51, IT Professional Services contract holders.  Consolidated Contracting Officer’s Statement of Facts and Memorandum of Law (COS/MOL) at 4; Agency Report (AR), Tab A.1, Conformed RFQ (RFQ) at 3.  The RFQ contemplated the issuance of a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) against which orders could be placed over a 1-year base period and four 1‑year option periods with a total estimated value of $2 billion.  RFQ at 4, 14.  Orders would be issued on a fixed-price, labor-hour, time‑and‑materials, or hybrid basis.  Id. at 5.  The selected contractor would be expected to provide support in shared services, general IT support services, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and analysis and studies.  Id. The RFQ provided for award on a best-value tradeoff basis considering the following factors, in descending order of importance:  past performance, management approach, technical approach, and price.  Id. at 696.  Unlike the other factors, price would not be assigned an adjectival rating.  Instead, the agency would evaluate price for compliance with instructions, completeness, and reasonableness.  Id. at 705.  Price would also be evaluated based on the percentage of proposed labor rates within two standard deviations of the mean labor rate, proposed initial BPA order pricing, and the proposed load on the ratio of other direct costs to direct materials purchases.  Id. at 705-707. Six vendors, including ActioNet and Accenture, submitted quotations prior to the March 13, 2018, closing date.  COS/MOL at 8.  The agency assigned the following non‑price adjectival ratings to ActioNet’s and Accenture’s quotations:   ActioNet Accenture Past Performance Satisfactory Outstanding Management Approach Satisfactory Good Technical Approach Satisfactory Good BPA Labor Rates [DELETED] [DELETED] Initial Order Pricing [DELETED] [DELETED] Load on ODCs/Direct Materials Purchased [DELETED] [DELETED] AR, Tab B.4, Evaluation and Basis of Award Decision (EBAD), at 9.  After evaluating quotations, the agency determined that Accenture’s quotation offered the best value.  Id. at 20.  When comparing the quotations of ActioNet and Accenture, the agency determined that Accenture’s quotation was more advantageous primarily because it had a technically superior quotation.  Id.