EM Key Solutions, Inc. (36C10B21Q0324)

B-420221,B-420221.2 Jan 10, 2022 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights EM Key Solutions, Inc. (EM Key), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) of Tierra Verde, Florida, protests the issuance of a task order to InnoVet Health LLC, an SDVOSB of Cheyenne, Wyoming, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 36C10B21Q0324, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for independent verification and validation (IV&V) services for the VA's Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT) program. The protester argues that the agency unreasonably evaluated vendors' quotations and that the awardee had an impermissible organizational conflict of interest (OCI). 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:  EM Key Solutions, Inc. File:  B-420221; B-420221.2 Date:  January 10, 2022 Todd R. Overman, Esq., Sylvia Yi, Esq., and Roee Talmore, Esq., Bass Berry & Sims, PLC, for the protester. Michelle Litteken, Esq., Catherine Kroll, Esq., and Andrew Mohr, Esq., Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, for InnoVet Health LLC, the intervenor. Frank V. DiNicola, Esq., Ronald J. Bakay, Esq., and Mary G. Courtney, Esq., Department of Veterans Affairs, for the agency. Hannah G. Barnes, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1.  Protest challenging agency’s technical evaluation is denied where awardee’s quotation received a significant strength that the protester’s quotation did not because the two quotations were different, not because they were evaluated disparately, and where protester has not shown that agency assessed unreasonably duplicative strengths in the awardee’s quotation. 2.  Protest challenging agency’s past performance evaluation is denied where agency’s evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation’s evaluation criteria. 3.  Protest that awardee had an organizational conflict of interest based on unequal access to information is denied where the protester fails to demonstrate any hard facts reflecting a conflict, and the record reflects that any advantage arising from awardee’s prior contract performance as a subcontractor was a normally occurring incumbent advantage. DECISION EM Key Solutions, Inc. (EM Key), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) of Tierra Verde, Florida, protests the issuance of a task order to InnoVet Health LLC, an SDVOSB of Cheyenne, Wyoming, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 36C10B21Q0324, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for independent verification and validation (IV&V) services for the VA’s Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT) program.  The protester argues that the agency unreasonably evaluated vendors’ quotations and that the awardee had an impermissible organizational conflict of interest (OCI).  We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFQ states that the point of the FMBT program is to replace the agency’s financial management and automated acquisition systems with the Integrated Financial and Acquisitions Management System (iFAMS), a financial management software product. The RFQ further explains that the agency requires a contractor to provide independent testing and quality assurance services, or IV&V services, in support of this system modernization.  Agency Report (AR), Tab 4, RFQ at 82, 87.  The iFAMS solution is meant to result in a single, integrated financial system that will replace the “many financial systems” that currently exist.  Id.