Integration Technologies Group, Inc. (RFQ1400757)

B-419116.3 Dec 22, 2020 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Integration Technologies Group, Inc. (ITG), of Falls Church, Virginia, protests the failure of the Department of the Air Force to establish a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) with it under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1400757, for digital printing and imaging (DPI) products. ITG argues that the quotations of the successful vendors should have been found unacceptable. We dismiss 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:  Integration Technologies Group, Inc. File:  B-419116.3 Date:  December 22, 2020 William T. Welch, Esq. and Johana A. Reed, Esq., McMahon, Welch and Learned, PLLC, for the protester. C. Kelly Kroll, Esq., Michelle E. Litteken, Esq., and Andrew J. Mohr, Esq., Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, for OMNI Business Systems; and C. Peter Dungan, Esq., Miles & Stockbridge P.C., for ID Technologies, LLC, the intervenors. Major Alissa J. Schrider and Isabelle P. Cutting, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. Sarah T. Zaffina, Esq., and Jennifer D. Westfall-McGrail, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest alleging the agency failed to evaluate quotations pursuant to the solicitation criteria because successful vendors offered items that were not manufactured in a Trade Agreements Act designated country is dismissed as untimely where protester failed to diligently pursue information giving rise to this protest ground.  DECISION Integration Technologies Group, Inc. (ITG), of Falls Church, Virginia, protests the failure of the Department of the Air Force to establish a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) with it under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1400757, for digital printing and imaging (DPI) products.ITG argues that the quotations of the successful vendors should have been found unacceptable. We dismiss the protest. BACKGROUND On October 24, 2019, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4, the Air Force issued a letter of invitation (LOI) to small businesses holding General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) 36, 70, and 75 contracts seeking quotations to establish BPAs for DPI products.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 3, RFQ GSA e-Buy Notice at 1‑2; AR, Tab 4, LOI at 1.  In addition to the BPA requirements, the LOI included an RFQ for the Air Force’s 2020 product selection cycle (PSC) for which vendors selected for the BPAs would compete.[1]  RFQ at 2; LOI at 1.  The estimated value of purchases to be made under the BPAs is $21.1 million annually.  LOI at 1.  The solicitation provided that the Air Force intended to establish BPAs with four small businesses, but reserved the right to select more or less than four vendors depending on the competitiveness of the quotations received.  Id.  The solicitation required that all products offered as separate end products comply with the requirements of the Trade Agreements Act (TAA).[2]  AR, Tab 15, LOI attach. 4.0, RFQ at 1.  Vendors were required to submit the terms and conditions of their GSA schedule, as well as evidence, such as screenshots or a certified list of each item from the GSA schedule, that the offered products were on their schedule or their supplier’s GSA schedule.  LOIat 2.  The solicitation also required vendors to submit a Vendor Capability Assessment (VCA) that included responses to a series of questions about the vendor’s ability to deliver the DPI products and services globally, and their response to the PSC 2020 RFQ.  Id.; AR, Tab 13, LOI attach. 2.0, Evaluation Plan at 1.  Responses to the RFQ were to be made in a government‑provided template where the vendor could enter technical, pricing, and total cost of ownership (TCO) information for its offered products.[3]  LOI at 1.  The completed template was to be used in both the evaluation to select the BPA recipients and the evaluation to select products for PSC 2020.  AR, Tab 13, LOI attach. 2.0, Evaluation Plan at 1. BPAs would be established on a lowest-priced, technically acceptable basis.  AR, Tab 13, LOI attach. 2.0, Evaluation Plan at 3.  To be considered for the BPAs, vendors had to successfully pass two stages.  Id. at 1, 3.  In the first stage, the Air Force would evaluate the VCA for relevancy of capability, which is experience and performance, as it relates to the BPA requirements.  Id. at 1‑2.  In the second stage, the agency would evaluate the vendor’s technical and pricing information provided in the completed templates to determine the worldwide total cost of ownership (WTCO).[4]  Id. at 2‑3.  After establishing the BPAs, the Air Force would evaluate the technical and pricing information provided in the vendors’ templates to select products for PSC 2020.  Id.