General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (HC104720R0014)

B-420589,B-420589.2 Jun 15, 2022 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT), of Falls Church, Virginia, protests the award of an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract and issuance of an initial task order to Leidos, Inc., of Reston, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. HC104720R0014, which was issued by the Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), for information technology (IT) services. GDIT challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals, conduct of discussions, and resulting source selection decision. 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: General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. File: B-420589; B-420589.2 Date: June 15, 2022 Noah B. Bleicher, Esq., Nathaniel E. Castellano, Esq., Carla J. Weiss, Esq., Moshe B. Broder, Esq., and Scott E. Whitman, Esq., Jenner & Block LLP, for the protester. James J. McCullough, Esq., Michael J. Anstett, Esq., Alexander B. Ginsberg, Esq., Katherine L. St. Romain, Esq., and Elizabeth J. Kalanchoe, Esq., Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP; Deneen J. Melander, Esq., Michael L. Waldman, Esq., and Jason Shaffer, Esq., Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, for Leidos, Inc., the intervenor. Kara G. Hong, Esq., and James W. DeBose, Esq., Department of Defense, for the agency. Evan D. Wesser, Esq., and Edward Goldstein, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of technical proposals and past performance is denied where the agency’s evaluation was reasonable, adequately documented, and in accordance with the terms of the solicitation. 2. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of staffing approaches is denied where the awardee’s proposed approach was consistent with the terms of the solicitation, and the offerors’ different proposed approaches were the result of independent business judgments, not a latent ambiguity in the solicitation’s terms. 3. Protest alleging that the agency engaged in misleading discussions is denied where the agency’s discussions reasonably identified the areas of the protester’s proposal that were of concern to the agency, and the protester’s upward adjustments to its proposed labor rates were the result of its own independent business judgment. DECISION General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT), of Falls Church, Virginia, protests the award of an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract and issuance of an initial task order to Leidos, Inc., of Reston, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. HC104720R0014, which was issued by the Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), for information technology (IT) services. GDIT challenges the agency’s evaluation of proposals, conduct of discussions, and resulting source selection decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND DISA desires to partner with industry to obtain commercial IT services, decrease redundant IT costs, enhance its cybersecurity posture, and standardize IT services across disparate networks. The Defense Enclave Services (DES) RFP, which was issued on December 8, 2020, and subsequently amended eleven times, sought proposals for the award of an IDIQ contract to unify “4th Estate” agencies’ common use IT systems, personnel, functions, and program elements associated with the support of those systems and technologies under a single service provider (SSP) architecture managed, operated, and supported by DISA.[1] The DES contractor will provide all required transition, infrastructure, network operations and management, engineering and innovation, cybersecurity, and technical refresh support services for a SSP network environment with all 4th Estate users. The network will consist of Non-classified Internet Protocol Network (NIPRNet) and Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) domains. Additionally, DES will provide support for legacy operations and sustainment requirements of Defense Agency and Field Activities (DAFA) mission partners. Agency Report (AR), Tab 50, RFP, amend. 9 at 7.[2] The RFP anticipated the award of a single IDIQ contract with a 4-year base period, three, 2-year option periods, and an additional 6-month option pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.217-8. Id. at 17. Future task orders may be awarded using any combination of the following contract line item types: fixed-price for labor; cost-reimbursement for travel and surge support; and labor-hour for emergency or urgent services. Id.