A. Prentice Ray & Associates, LLC (19AQMM22R0221)

B-421248.4 Sep 07, 2023 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights A. Prentice Ray & Associates, LLC (APRA), an 8(a) certified, woman-owned small business located in Washington, District of Columbia, protests the corrective action undertaken by the Department of State (DOS) in response to APRA's earlier protest (B-421248.3) challenging the award of indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts under request for proposals (RFP) No. 19AQMM22R0221, for staffing support services. APRA challenges the agency's price realism evaluation of DGI's and Maven's proposals. 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: A. Prentice Ray & Associates, LLC File: B-421248.4 Date: September 7, 2023 Devon E. Hewitt, Esq., Potomac Law Group, PLLC, for the protester. John W. Cox, Esq., and Kathleen D. Martin, Esq., Department of State, for the agency. Paula A. Williams, Esq., and Evan D. Wesser, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging the agency’s price realism analysis is denied where the agency evaluated the realism of proposed prices in accordance with the terms of the solicitation; the agency was not required to conduct an in-depth analysis of the awardees’ prices in the manner argued by the protester. DECISION A. Prentice Ray & Associates, LLC (APRA), an 8(a)[1] certified, woman-owned small business located in Washington, District of Columbia, protests the corrective action undertaken by the Department of State (DOS) in response to APRA’s earlier protest (B-421248.3) challenging the award of indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts[2] under request for proposals (RFP) No. 19AQMM22R0221, for staffing support services. APRA challenges the agency’s price realism evaluation of DGI’s and Maven’s proposals. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On July 25, 2022, DOS issued the RFP as a competitive 8(a) small business set-aside for technical, administrative, and professional service employees to assist the agency’s Bureau of Administration, Office of Operations (A/OPR). RFP at 7, 58.[3] The contractor will provide staffing in the areas of real property management, facilities management, industrial design, construction, commissioning, space management, administration, logistics, budget and finance, information technology, and project management.[4] Id. at 55. The solicitation anticipated award of two but no more than three IDIQ contracts under which time-and-materials or labor-hour task orders would be issued in accordance with FAR subpart 16.5. Id. at 7. Each IDIQ contract will have a 5-year term comprised of a 1-year base and four 1-year options. Id. at 13. The solicitation provided for awards on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering the following evaluation factors: (1) technical capabilities; (2) quality control program; (3) past performance and experience; (4) facility clearance; and (5) cost/price. Id. at 65. The facility clearance factor was to be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Id. For purposes of the best value tradeoff, the technical capabilities factor was more important than the quality control program and past performance and experience factors; and the quality control program factor and past performance and experience factors were of equal importance. The non-cost/price factors, when combined, were significantly more important than cost/price. Id. For the evaluation of cost/price, the RFP contemplated that the agency would evaluate the realism and reasonableness of each offeror’s proposed cost/price for the base and option years. Id. at 65. To this end, the RFP stated: The Government will review and evaluate the Price proposals (Attachment C – Ceiling Rates and Sample Pricing) for both Price Realism and Reasonableness. The Government will review and evaluate separate cost elements and profit in the offeror’s proposal (including cost or pricing data or information other than cost or pricing data), and apply judgment to determine Price Realism. Upon completion of the Price Realism Analysis, the Government will also perform a price analysis based on the proposed Sample Pricing (Attachment [D]). The Government will evaluate the deviations/ exceptions and/or conditional assumptions for acceptability. The Government will also evaluate all Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors. Id. In their cost/price proposals, offerors were instructed to submit certain required documentation to include, a completed table with proposed hourly ceiling rates for 37 specified labor categories and associated security clearance levels, for each period of performance.[5] Id. at 61; AR Exh. 14, RFP amend. No. 0002, attach. C, Revised Hourly Ceiling Rates.