AvantGarde LLC (N6449821Q5057)

B-419744 Jun 30, 2021 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights AvantGarde LLC, of Round Rock, Texas, a small business, protests the terms of request for quotations (RFQ) No. N6449821Q5057, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Command, for human resource specialist services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), in Pennsylvania. AvantGarde, the incumbent contractor, argues that the Navy has failed to provide information in the RFQ that is necessary for vendors to compete fairly and on a common basis. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of:  AvantGarde LLC File:  B-419744 Date:  June 30, 2021 William A. Shook, Esq., Law Offices of William A. Shook PLLC, for the protester. Suzanne M. Steffen, Esq., Department of the Navy, for the agency. Paul N. Wengert, Esq., and Tania Calhoun, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest that request for quotations is defective for failure to provide sufficient information is denied where solicitation provides extensive information about the required services in five specialized areas, and where information about the distribution of services among the five areas under the incumbent contract was not shown to be essential for competitors to prepare quotations intelligently or for the competition to be held on a relatively equal and fair basis. 2.  Protest that request for quotations contained contradictory language regarding award criteria is denied where the solicitation expressly specified a best-value tradeoff using three factors, and when the solicitation was read as a whole, a statement in one factor that proposing better labor categories “may receive a higher rating” did not indicate that award would instead be made to the lowest-priced technically acceptable quotation.  DECISION AvantGarde LLC, of Round Rock, Texas, a small business, protests the terms of request for quotations (RFQ) No. N6449821Q5057, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Command, for human resource specialist services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), in Pennsylvania.  AvantGarde, the incumbent contractor, argues that the Navy has failed to provide information in the RFQ that is necessary for vendors to compete fairly and on a common basis.  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFQ, issued April 2, 2021, through the General Services Administration’s (GSA) e‑Buy portal, seeks quotations from small businesses that hold Federal Supply Schedule contracts that include category No. 541612HC (the agency human capital strategy, policy, and operations services category).  The RFQ anticipates the award of a single order to the vendor whose quotation provides the best value.  The RFQ requires vendors to propose five full-time positions (identified in otherwise-identical contract line item numbers (CLIN) 1 through 5), and has four options:  for two additional full-time positions (CLINs 6 and 7) and for two additional part-time positions (CLINs 8 and 9).  The RFQ does not identify specific labor categories or work estimates for the specific support areas; rather, it specifies levels of effort for each CLIN, from which each vendor is directed to propose a labor mix using labor categories from its schedule contract to perform services in five human resources support areas.  These areas are labor and employee relations, staffing and classification, workforce development, human resource information systems, and equal employment opportunity (each of which is accompanied by a more detailed description).  RFQ at 29‑33.  The evaluation of quotations is to be based on three factors--management approach, past performance, and price.  The management approach factor was more important than the past performance factor, and the combination of these factors was approximately equal to the importance of price.  RFQ at 68.  Under the management approach factor, the RFQ describes the evaluation: The Quoter’s proposed management plan will be evaluated as to how well the management plan and labor mix support the requirements of the SOW [statement of work].