Rocky Mountain Mobile Medical (FA2517-20-Q-0017)

B-418788.2,B-418788.3,B-418788.4 Dec 23, 2020 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Rocky Mountain Mobile Medical, a small business of Colorado Springs, Colorado, protests the award of a contract to Med-Express Ambulance Services, Inc. (MedExpress), a small business of Alexandria, Louisiana, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. FA2517-20-Q-0017, which was issued by the Department of the Air Force, for ambulance services at Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases (AFB). Rocky Mountain alleges that the agency unreasonably evaluated MedExpress' compliance with the RFQ's applicable page limits, and the parties' respective past performance. 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:  Rocky Mountain Mobile Medical File:  B-418788.2; B-418788.3; B-418788.4 Date:  December 23, 2020 Shaun C. Kennedy, Esq., Thomas A. Morales, Esq., and Hannah E. Armentrout, Esq., Holland & Hart LLP, for the protester. Bradley L. Drell, Esq., and B. Gene Taylor, III, Esq., Gold, Weems, Bruser, Sues & Rundell, for Med-Express Ambulance Services, Inc., the intervenor. Laura B. Bauza, Esq., Alexis J. Bernstein, Esq., Katie Illingworth, Esq., and John K. Suehiro, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. Evan D. Wesser, Esq., Christopher An, and Edward Goldstein, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest that agency impermissibly allowed the awardee to exceed the solicitation’s page limits is denied where the record demonstrates that the awardee’s technical quotation conformed to the applicable page limits, and a non-conforming letter of introduction was not provided to the technical evaluators or otherwise considered by the agency. 2.  Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of vendors’ past performance records is denied where the record demonstrates that the evaluation was reasonable and in accordance with the solicitation’s criteria. DECISION Rocky Mountain Mobile Medical, a small business of Colorado Springs, Colorado, protests the award of a contract to Med-Express Ambulance Services, Inc. (MedExpress), a small business of Alexandria, Louisiana, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. FA2517-20-Q-0017, which was issued by the Department of the Air Force, for ambulance services at Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases (AFB).  Rocky Mountain alleges that the agency unreasonably evaluated MedExpress’ compliance with the RFQ’s applicable page limits, and the parties’ respective past performance. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFQ, which was issued on May 8, 2020, and subsequently amended seven times, sought quotations for emergency medical transport services at Peterson and Schriever AFBs in Colorado.  The RFQ, which was set aside for small businesses, contemplated the award of a fixed-price contract with a 6-month base period, and four 1-year option periods.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 3, RFQ at 1, 3-5.[1]  Award was to be made on a best-value tradeoff basis utilizing the following evaluation factors:  (1) price; (2) technical; and (3) past performance.[2]  AR, Tab 14, RFQ amend. No. 7, at 4.  The technical factor would be evaluated on a pass/fail basis, and the past performance and price factors were to be of approximately equal weight in any tradeoff.  Id.  Only the technical and past performance factors are relevant to the issues presented in the protest. Under the technical factor, vendors were required to submit a technical capability volume including:  (1) an approach for meeting the performance work statement’s response time requirements; (2) a staffing plan; and (3) a completed staffing table, which was included as an attachment to the RFQ.  Id. at 3.  The technical capability volume, exclusive of the staffing table, was required to be in no less than Times New Roman 10 point or Arial 11 point font, and no longer than six double-spaced pages.  Id.  The RFQ warned that a quotation failing to meet all of the RFQ’s stated requirements “may be considered non-compliant and may not be considered for award.”  Id.