Integrated Finance & Accounting Solutions, LLC (1499083)

B-420526,B-420526.2 May 19, 2022 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Integrated Finance & Accounting Solutions (IFAS), LLC, a woman-owned small business of Arlington, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to enGenius Consulting Group, a small business of Huntsville, Alabama. IFAS challenges the issuance of the task order under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1499083, issued under the General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule, Professional Services Category 541611, by the Defense Information Systems Agency for financial analysis, management, and support services. The protester alleges the agency erred in its evaluation of quotations 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 version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Integrated Finance & Accounting Solutions, LLC File: B-420526; B-420526.2 Date: May 19, 2022 Thomas A. Coulter, Esq., Norton Rose Fulbright US, LLP, for the protester. Jon D. Levin, Esq., Emily J. Chancey, Esq., and Nicholas P. Greer, Esq., Maynard Cooper Gale, P.C., for enGenius Consulting Group, the intervenor. Kara Hong, Esq., Andriani Buck, Esq., LaTonya McFadden, Esq., and Susan Chagrin, Esq., Defense Information Systems Agency, for the agency. Michael Willems, Esq., and Edward Goldstein, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest that the agency unreasonably evaluated quotations is denied where the record reflects that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation and applicable statutes and regulation. 2. Protest challenging agency best-value tradeoff is denied where the best-value tradeoff was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. DECISION Integrated Finance & Accounting Solutions (IFAS), LLC, a woman-owned small business of Arlington, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to enGenius Consulting Group, a small business of Huntsville, Alabama. IFAS challenges the issuance of the task order under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1499083, issued under the General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule, Professional Services Category 541611, by the Defense Information Systems Agency for financial analysis, management, and support services. The protester alleges the agency erred in its evaluation of quotations and conducted a flawed best-value tradeoff. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On June 17, 2021, the agency issued the RFQ seeking budgeting and financial support services. Memorandum of Law (MOL) at 2. The RFQ contemplated that award would be based on a best-value tradeoff between three factors: (1) technical/management approach; (2) past performance; and (3) price. Agency Report (AR), Tab 5, RFQ at 11. The first factor was divided into technical approach and management approach subfactors, with technical approach being more important than management approach. Id. The RFQ provided that the technical/management approach factor was more important than past performance, and technical/management approach and past performance combined were more important than price. Id. Concerning past performance, the RFQ provided that the agency would evaluate past performance for relevance, recency, and quality, and make an integrated performance confidence assessment.[1] RFQ at 13-15. The RFQ explained that the agency would evaluate relevance based on the similarity of the scopes of the submitted references to the requirements of the current solicitation. Id. For example, the RFQ noted that contracts or orders with a total value in excess of 20 million or an average annual value of 4 to 6 million would be considered similar in scope. Id. Relevant to this protest, the RFQ noted that the agency would evaluate relevance for single contracts or orders, but that multiple orders on the same indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract or blanket purchase agreement (BPA) may be combined when considering the scope of submitted efforts. Id. On July 16, 2021, the agency received six quotations, including quotations from IFAS and enGenius. MOL at 2-3. The agency rated IFAS and enGenius as follows:   IFAS enGenius Technical/Management     Technical Approach Green/Acceptable Green/Acceptable Management Approach Green/Acceptable Green/Acceptable Past Performance Satisfactory Confidence Neutral Confidence Price $36,138,287 $32,519,780   MOL at 12. The agency concluded that, while IFAS and enGenius had the same adjectival rating for the technical approach and management approach subfactors, based on the underlying evaluation, enGenius had a slight technical advantage over IFAS. AR, Tab 13, Price Negotiation Memorandum at 36-37.