Veteran Technology Partners III, LLC (36C10B19R0046)

B-418461.13,B-418461.20 Feb 24, 2021 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Veteran Technology Partners III LLC (VTP), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) of Alton, Illinois, protests the elimination of its proposal from the competition by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under request for proposals (RFP) No. 36C10B19R0046 for professional and information technology (IT) services. The protester argues that the agency unreasonably eliminated its proposal. Specifically, VTP contends that the VA failed to conduct meaningful discussions during step one of the evaluation and that the agency's technical evaluation of its proposal and competitive range determination were 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:  Veteran Technology Partners III LLC File:  B-418461.13; B-418461.20 Date:  February 24, 2021 Elizabeth Jochum, Esq., Nora K. Brent, Esq., and Zachary D. Prince, Esq., Smith Pachter McWhorter PLC, for the protester. Frank V. DiNicola, Esq., Desiree A. DiCorcia, Esq., Tara Nash, Esq., and Ronald J. Bakay, Esq., Department of Veterans Affairs, for the agency. Kasia Dourney, Esq., and Evan C. Williams, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest that the agency failed to conduct meaningful discussions during step one of the evaluation is denied where the solicitation provided that offerors could not correct or revise specific aspect of proposals, and where the agency was under no obligation to engage in clarifications regarding that aspect of the proposal. 2.  Protest challenging the evaluation of the protester’s technical proposal is denied where there is no basis to conclude that the agency’s evaluation was unreasonable. 3.  Protest alleging that the agency failed to adequately consider non-technical factors in the competitive range determination is denied where the record shows the competitive range determination considered non-technical factors and was otherwise reasonable. DECISION   Veteran Technology Partners III LLC (VTP), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) of Alton, Illinois, protests the elimination of its proposal from the competition by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under request for proposals (RFP) No. 36C10B19R0046 for professional and information technology (IT) services.[1]  The protester argues that the agency unreasonably eliminated its proposal.  Specifically, VTP contends that the VA failed to conduct meaningful discussions during step one of the evaluation and that the agency’s technical evaluation of its proposal and competitive range determination were unreasonable.  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The procurement at issue is commonly referred to as the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation procurement or T4NG.  Contracting Officer’s Statement (COS) at 1.  With a program ceiling of $22.3 billion, T4NG is a multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that provides professional and IT services for the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 5, T4NG On‑Ramp RFP at 7.  T4NG delivers contractor provided solutions in support of IT, health IT, and telecommunications, to include services and incidental hardware/software, for customer requirements that vary across the entire spectrum of existing and future technical environments.  Id. at 12; COS at 1.  Currently, there are 28 prime vendors that hold the T4NG contract:  14 large businesses and 14 SDVOSBs.  AR, Tab 12, Step Two Competitive Range Determination at 1; COS at 1.  Relevant here, T4NG contract includes “on-ramp” procedures--i.e., a process to add additional vendors to the contract--for SDVOSBs, veteran-owned small business, and small business contractors.  RFP at 77.  The RFP specified that the on-ramp procedures could be implemented at any time by reopening the competition and utilizing the same terms and conditions of the T4NG contract.  Id. On November 12, 2019, the VA issued the T4NG on-ramp solicitation, which contemplated the award of individual task orders on a performance-based time-and- materials, cost-reimbursement, and fixed-price basis for a period of approximately 5 years.  Id. at 16.  This solicitation, issued to replenish the pool of SDVOSB contractors for the T4NG contract, stated that the agency intended to award seven contracts to SDVOSBs, but reserved the right to make more or fewer awards.  Id.