DynCorp International, LLC (W56HZV-18-R-0040)

B-419100,B-419100.2 Dec 16, 2020 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights DynCorp International LLC (DynCorp), of McLean, Virginia, protests the award of a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) under request for proposals (RFP) No. W56HZV-18-R-0040, issued by the Department of the Army for sustainment services on the Stryker family of vehicles. DynCorp challenges various aspects of the agency's source selection process, including the agency's evaluation under the management, cost/price, and small business participation factors. 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:  DynCorp International, LLC File:  B-419100; B-419100.2 Date:  December 16, 2020 Amy Laderberg O’Sullivan, Esq., Natalie Ludaway, Esq., Olivia L. Lynch, Esq., Eric Ransom, Esq., and Alexandra Barbee-Garrett, Esq., Crowell & Moring LLP, for the protester. Noah B. Bleicher, Esq., Carla J. Weiss, Esq., Matthew L. Haws, Esq., and Satenik Harutyunyan, Esq., Jenner & Block, LLP, for General Dynamics Land Systems, the intervenor. Pamoline J. McDonald, Esq., and Matthew R. Wilson, Esq., Department of the Army, for the agency. Christopher Alwood, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of proposals under the management, cost/price, and small business participation factors is denied where the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation’s evaluation criteria. 2.  Protest challenging the agency’s conduct of discussions as misleading is denied where discussions were meaningful, led the protester into the general areas of its proposal requiring amplification or revision, and did not mislead the protester into responding in a manner that did not address the agency’s actual concerns.  DECISION   DynCorp International LLC (DynCorp), of McLean, Virginia, protests the award of a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) under request for proposals (RFP) No. W56HZV-18-R-0040, issued by the Department of the Army for sustainment services on the Stryker family of vehicles.  DynCorp challenges various aspects of the agency’s source selection process, including the agency’s evaluation under the management, cost/price, and small business participation factors.  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The Army issued the RFP on September 12, 2019, seeking proposals to provide support services for the Army’s Stryker family of vehicles.[1]  AR, Tab 7, RFP[2] at 1; Contracting Officer’s Statement and Memorandum of Law (COS/MOL) at 4‑5.  Among other things, the contractor’s responsibilities will include new equipment training, vehicle fielding and deprocessing, depot-level maintenance at Joint Base Lewis McChord, and contingency deployment maintenance both in the United States and abroad.  Protest at 6; COS/MOL at 4; RFP at 134-153.  The RFP contemplated the award of a 5-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract consisting of cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost no- fee, and fixed-price contract line items.  RFP at 18‑124.  The RFP provided for award on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering the following evaluation factors, listed in descending order of importance:  (1) experience, (2) management, (3) cost/price, and (4) small business participation.  RFP at 220.  The RFP specified that the experience factor was more important than the management factor, which was more important than the cost/price factor, which was significantly more important than the small business participation factor.  Id.  The non-price factors, when combined, were stated to be significantly more important than the cost/price factor.  Id.  To evaluate the experience factor, the agency would assess the risk associated with whether the offeror would successfully perform the effort required by the RFP.  Id.