E3 Federal Solutions, LLC dba Avantus Federal (192121FHQNCAT0006)

B-419712,B-419712.2 Jul 08, 2021 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights E3 Federal Solutions, LLC d/b/a Avantus Federal (Avantus), located in McLean, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Deloitte Consulting LLP, located in Arlington, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 192121FHQNCAT0006. The solicitation was issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for analytical services in support of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Targeting Operations Division. The protester asserts that the agency unreasonably and unequally evaluated both Avantus’s and Deloitte’s quotations and their oral presentations, engaged in unfair and unequal discussions with Deloitte, and conducted a flawed best-value tradeoff. 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:  E3 Federal Solutions, LLC d/b/a Avantus Federal File:  B-419712; B-419712.2 Date:  July 8, 2021 William M. Jack, Esq., Amba M. Datta, Esq., and Ken M. Kanzawa, Esq., Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, for the protester. David S. Cohen, Esq., John J. O’Brien, Esq., and Daniel J. Strouse, Esq., Cordatis Law LLP, for Deloitte Consulting LLP, the intervenor. Cassandra Maximous, Esq., Department of Homeland Security, for the agency. Alexander O. Levine, Esq., and Jennifer D. Westfall-McGrail, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest alleging that agency conducted unequal discussions during oral presentation portion of the procurement is denied where the exchanges between the agency and the vendors amounted to clarifications and where the awardee did not revise or modify its quotation. 2.  Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of awardee’s quotation and oral presentation is denied where the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation’s evaluation criteria. 3.  Protest asserting that the agency failed to meaningfully document its best-value tradeoff is denied where the agency reasonably explained the key discriminators justifying its selection of the higher-priced awardee. DECISION E3 Federal Solutions, LLC d/b/a Avantus Federal (Avantus), located in McLean, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Deloitte Consulting LLP, located in Arlington, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 192121FHQNCAT0006.  The solicitation was issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for analytical services in support of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Targeting Operations Division.  The protester asserts that the agency unreasonably and unequally evaluated both Avantus’s and Deloitte’s quotations and their oral presentations, engaged in unfair and unequal discussions with Deloitte, and conducted a flawed best-value tradeoff. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On January 22, 2021, DHS issued the solicitation, seeking analytical services of publicly accessible social media platforms, as well as commercial and law enforcement databases, to collect and analyze information and provide ICE with person-specific address information, as well as other relevant information, to assist in enforcement actions.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 20, Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 3.  The RFQ anticipated the issuance of a fixed-price task order under the General Services Administration’s One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Pool 1 unrestricted indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract.  AR, Tab 19, RFQ at 1.  The task order period of performance consists of a 12-month base year, and four 12-month option periods.  Id. The base period includes a transition-in period of up to 60 calendar days.  Id.  The procurement was conducted under the fair opportunity procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation section 16.505, which outlines procedures for orders issued under multiple-award IDIQ contracts.  Id. The solicitation provided for a two-phase evaluation.  Phase one consisted of the evaluation of one non-price factor (that the agency terms “prior experience and draft staffing plan with resumes”); phase two consisted of the evaluation of a second non-price factor (technical approach) and price.  Id. at 8.  Under the RFQ’s evaluation criteria, the first factor (prior experience and draft staffing plan with resumes) was significantly more important than the technical approach factor, which, in turn, was significantly more important than price.  Id.