Prudential Protective Services, LLC ()

B-419005,B-419005.2 Oct 28, 2020 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Prudential Protective Services, LLC, a small business of Monroe, Michigan, protests the issuance of an order to Starside Security and Investigation, Inc., a small business of Diamond Bar, California, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. ID07200045, issued by the General Services Administration (GSA), on behalf of the United States Marshals Service (USMS), for detention officers. The protester argues that the agency unreasonably found its quotation technically 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 version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of:  Prudential Protective Services, LLC File:  B-419005, B-419005.2 Date:  October 28, 2020 Douglas L. Patin, Esq., and Lisa A. Markman, Esq., Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings, LLP, for the protester. H. Todd Whay, Esq., Baker, Cronogue, Tolle, and Werfel, LLP, for Starside Security and Investigation, Inc., the intervenor. Amy Cook, Esq., General Services Administration, for the agency. Heather Self, Esq., and Peter Tran, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest that the solicitation contained a latent ambiguity is denied because the protester’s interpretation of the solicitation language is not reasonable. 2.  Protest that the agency unreasonably evaluated the protester’s quotation as technically unacceptable is denied because the record reflects that the agency’s evaluation was reasonable and in accordance with the solicitation. DECISION Prudential Protective Services, LLC, a small business of Monroe, Michigan, protests the issuance of an order to Starside Security and Investigation, Inc., a small business of Diamond Bar, California, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. ID07200045, issued by the General Services Administration (GSA), on behalf of the United States Marshals Service (USMS), for detention officers.  The protester argues that the agency unreasonably found its quotation technically unacceptable. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND In March 2019, GSA established six blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) with holders of federal supply schedule (FSS) Schedule 84[1] contracts for detention officers to provide guard and transportation services in support of the USMS in various locations, referred to as districts.  COS at 1 ¶ 3.  Three of the six vendors with BPAs were small businesses.  Id. at 2 ¶ 8.  On July 16, 2020, utilizing the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4, GSA issued the solicitation to the three small business BPA-holders.  Id. at 2 ¶ 10; AR, Tab 5, RFQ at 1, 5.  The solicitation sought quotations for detention officer services to be provided in San Diego, California, and up to six additional optional districts.  RFQ at 2.  The solicitation contemplated issuance of a fixed-price time-and-materials order with a 1-year base period and four 1-year option periods to the vendor that submitted the lowest-priced, technically acceptable quotation.  Id. at 5, 14. The solicitation required vendors to include in their quotations pricing information, key personnel resumes, and a transition plan, among other things.  RFQ at 14, 17.  As relevant here, the solicitation provided that vendors: must provide key personnel resumes that meet the minimum requirement[s] for the position.  In addition, the [project manager’s] resume shall contain an active project list.  Failure to meet the minimum requirement[s] or failure to provide the requested information for key personnel will result in an “unacceptable” rating for this evaluation factor. Id.