Spatial Front, Inc.

B-417985,B-417985.2 Dec 18, 2019 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Spatial Front, Inc., a small business of McLean, Virginia, protests the award of a contract and task order to Changeis, Inc., a small business of Arlington, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 6913G619R200032 issued by the Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, for technical support services. Spatial Front challenges various aspects of the agency's evaluation of proposals, and the best-value award decision. 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:  Spatial Front, Inc. File:  B-417985; B-417985.2 Date:  December 18, 2019 Alexander J. Brittin, Esq., Brittin Law Group, PLLC, Jonathan D. Shaffer, Esq., and Mary Pat Buckenmeyer, Esq., Smith Pachter McWhorter PLC, for the protester. Katherine S. Nucci, Esq., Scott F. Lane, Esq., and Jayna M. Rust, Esq., Thompson Coburn LLP, for Changeis, Inc., the intervenor. Monica Conyngham, Esq., Department of Transportation, 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 1.  Protest that the agency unreasonably and unequally evaluated proposals under the non-cost evaluation factors is denied where the record shows that the evaluation was reasonable and in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria. 2.  Protest that the agency unreasonably assigned cost risks to the protester’s proposal under the cost evaluation factor is denied where the record shows that the risks were reasonably assigned. DECISION Spatial Front, Inc., a small business of McLean, Virginia, protests the award of a contract and task order to Changeis, Inc., a small business of Arlington, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 6913G619R200032 issued by the Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, for technical support services.  Spatial Front challenges various aspects of the agency’s evaluation of proposals, and the best-value award decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFP, issued on April 19, 2019, sought proposals from participants in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program to provide support for communications and operations research analysis (SCOAR)[1] to a variety of Volpe Center projects.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 2, RFP, at 13.  The RFP contemplated the award of two indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts, one providing comprehensive technical support services (CTSS), and the other providing independent technical support services.[2]  Id. at 6.  The protester challenges only the contract and task order award for CTSS to Changeis.  Protest at 1. The contracts resulting from the solicitation were to be awarded on a best-value tradeoff basis.  For the CTSS scope of work, proposals were to be evaluated based on cost/price (cost) and five non-cost factors:  technical understanding and approach, management approach, staffing, transition, and past performance.[3]  RFP at 110.  Technical understanding and approach was to be the most important technical evaluation factor.  The management approach, staffing, and transition factors were to be of equal importance, but each was less important than the technical understanding and approach factor.  Past performance was to be the least important technical evaluation factor.  Id.  The technical factors, when combined were to be significantly more important than cost.  Id.  However, the solicitation cautioned offerors that “[a]s the difference in ratings of submitted Technical Proposals decreases, the importance of evaluated cost will increase.”  Id. Eight proposals were received in response to the CTSS scope of work, including those from Changeis and Spatial Front.  Contracting Officer’s Statement (COS) at 3.  After an evaluation of proposals, the relevant results were as follows:   Changeis Spatial Front Technical Understanding Superior/Low Risk Superior/Low Risk Management Approach Superior/Low Risk Acceptable/Low Risk Staffing Superior/Low Risk Acceptable/Low Risk Transition Superior/Low Risk Acceptable/Moderate Risk Past Performance Superior/Low Risk Acceptable/Low Risk Overall Superior/Low Risk Acceptable/Low Risk Evaluated Price $91,478,745 $86,865,890.00 Cost Risk Rating Moderate Moderate AR, Tab 8, Technical Evaluation Report (TER), at 6; Tab 10, Source Selection Decision Document (SSDD), at 4. The source selection authority (SSA) conducted a detailed tradeoff analysis between proposals, including those of Changeis and Spatial Front.  See AR, Tab 10, SSDD, at 6‑9.  Ultimately, the SSA determined that...