Mainstream IP Solutions (N00406-20-R-0004)

B-418722 Jul 14, 2020 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Mainstream IP Solutions, of Tampa, Florida, protests the award of a contract to First American Business Solutions Inc., of New Port Richey, Florida, under request for proposals (RFP) No. N0040620R0004, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command, for commercial telecommunications operation and maintenance support services. The protester asserts that the agency unreasonably evaluated its proposal as unacceptable. 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:  Mainstream IP Solutions File:  B-418722 Date:  July 14, 2020 John R. Tolle, Esq., and H. Todd Whay, Esq., Baker, Cronogue, Tolle & Werfel, LLP, for the protester. Todd J. Canni, Esq., J. Matthew Carter, Esq., and Kevin R. Massoudi, Esq., Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, for First American Business Solutions Inc., the intervenor. Kim Churchill, Esq., and Trevor Davies, Esq., Department of the Navy, for the agency. Kenneth Kilgour, Esq., and Jennifer D. Westfall-McGrail, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest that agency unreasonably evaluated protester’s proposal as unacceptable is denied because the record demonstrates that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation’s requirements. DECISION   Mainstream IP Solutions, of Tampa, Florida, protests the award of a contract to First American Business Solutions Inc., of New Port Richey, Florida, under request for proposals (RFP) No. N0040620R0004, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command, for commercial telecommunications operation and maintenance support services.  The protester asserts that the agency unreasonably evaluated its proposal as unacceptable.  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The solicitation, set aside for small businesses, was issued under the simplified acquisition procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12 and subpart 13.5.  The RFP sought proposals for the award of a fixed-price contract, with a 1-year base period and four 1-year options.  Award would be made to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation was most advantageous to the agency, considering three factors--technical, past performance, and price.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 1, RFP at 103-04.  Proposals would be evaluated as acceptable or unacceptable under the technical factor and each of its subfactors, and only technically acceptable proposals would be further evaluated under past performance and price.  Id. at 104.  The technical factor had three subfactors, including, as relevant to this protest, key personnel resumes.  Id.  The RFP required offerors to submit resumes for key personnel, including the site manager, and those resumes required agency approval.  Id. at 60.  The solicitation provided that the key personnel resumes would be evaluated based on, among other things, “the years of experience of personnel performing each of the PWS [performance work statement] positions.”  Id. at 104.  The RFP required the site manager to possess a minimum of 10 years experience in operation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment and information systems that are similar in scope and complexity to the requirement.  The RFP further required that “three years within the past five years shall be in managing a telecommunications operation similar in scope and complexity to this PWS.”  Id. The protester and the awardee both submitted proposals.  As relevant to this protest, Mainstream’s proposal included a resume for its proposed site manager, which showed experience managing a telecommunications operation similar to the current requirement from “May 2017-Present.”  Protester’s Resp. to GAO Request, June 8, 2020, Protester’s Technical Proposal at 7, Site Manager’s Resume. The Navy evaluated Mainstream’s proposal as technically unacceptable because the protester’s proposed site manager failed to meet the minimum solicitation requirements.  Agency Comments, encl.