Missing Link Security (2031JW21Q00089)

B-420288.2,B-420288.3,B-420288.4 May 27, 2022 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Missing Link Communications, LLC, doing business as Missing Link Security (MLS), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business of Manassas, Virginia, protests the award of a contract to MindPoint Group, LLC, of Alexandria, Virginia. MLS challenges the award to MindPoint under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 2031JW21Q00089, issued by the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for cyber defense, engineering, and risk management support services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of quotations, and the resulting award decision. We deny the protest in part, and dismiss in part. 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: Missing Link Communications, LLC d/b/a Missing Link Security File: B-420288.2; B-420288.3; B-420288.4 Date: May 27, 2022 Elizabeth N. Jochum, Esq., Samarth Barot, Esq., and Amanda C. DeLaPerriere, Esq., Blank Rome LLP, for the protester. Denis R. Hurley, Esq., Williams & Connolly LLP, for MindPoint Group, LLC, the intervenor. Eric C. Crane, Esq., Department of the Treasury, for the agency. Kasia Dourney, Esq., and Alexander O. Levine, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging evaluation of the protester’s key personnel is denied where the record shows that the agency’s evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. 2. Protester is not an interested party to challenge the evaluation of quotations and resulting award decision where the protester fails to demonstrate that it would have a substantial chance of receiving an award if our Office were to sustain its protest. DECISION Missing Link Communications, LLC, doing business as Missing Link Security (MLS), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business of Manassas, Virginia, protests the award of a contract to MindPoint Group, LLC, of Alexandria, Virginia. MLS challenges the award to MindPoint under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 2031JW21Q00089, issued by the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for cyber defense, engineering, and risk management support services. The protester challenges the agency’s evaluation of quotations, and the resulting award decision. We deny the protest in part, and dismiss in part. BACKGROUND On May 6, 2021, the agency issued the RFQ under the General Services Administration’s federal supply schedule (FSS) procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4, to vendors holding an Information Technology-Information Technology Services multiple award schedule contract, special item number (SIN) 54151, highly adaptive cybersecurity services.[1] AR, Tab A, RFQ at 72; COS at 849.[2] The solicitation was set aside for small businesses, and anticipated award of a single, hybrid fixed-price and labor-hour task order for a base year and four 1-year option periods. RFQ at 2-7, 39. The RFQ advised that award would be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering price and the following evaluation factors, in descending order of importance: (1) technical approach; (2) corporate experience; (3) key personnel; and (4) past performance. Id. at 77. The non-price factors, when combined, were significantly more important than price. Id. As relevant here, the solicitation identified one key personnel position, program manager, and included minimum skill and experience qualifications for the position. Id. at 30-31. The proposed program manager was required to have: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and at least eight (8) years of concurrent experience in program and project management supporting information security or cybersecurity projects for the Federal Government. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification [was also] required. Id. The solicitation instructed that the program manager’s resume, which was to be limited to two pages, “must clearly describe the specialized work experience of the individual, to include job title and dates of employment.” Id. at 75. Further, each job description had to: · Provide the name of the employer; · The total period of employment with the employer; · Position description or labor category and the duration of the assignment, including month and year; and · Major customer(s) and program(s) served on the assignment. Id. at 76-77.