Delviom LLC (RFQ-1562894)

B-421284.2,B-421284.3,B-421284.4 Nov 29, 2023 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Delviom, LLC, a small business of Ashburn, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Crest Security Assurance, LLC, a small business of Woodbridge, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1562894, issued by the Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for cybersecurity support services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of its technical quotation and argues that the evaluation reflects disparate treatment. The protester also challenges the agency's best-value tradeoff determination. 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: Delviom, LLC File: B-421284.2; B-421284.3; B-421284.4 Date: November 29, 2023 Elizabeth N. Jochum, Esq., Robyn Burrows, Esq., Samarth Barot, Esq., and Amanda C. DeLaPerriere, Esq., Blank Rome LLP, for the protester. Gordon Griffin, Esq., Jeremy D. Burkhart, Esq., and Danielle R. Rich, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, for Crest Security Assurance, LLC, the intervenor. Susan M. Chagrin, Esq., Defense Information Systems Agency, for the agency. Heather Weiner, Esq., and Jennifer D. Westfall-McGrail, 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 that the agency engaged in unequal treatment is denied where the differences in the evaluation stemmed from differences between the vendors’ quotations. 2. Protest challenging agency’s best-value tradeoff decision is denied where the decision was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. DECISION Delviom, LLC, a small business of Ashburn, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Crest Security Assurance, LLC, a small business of Woodbridge, Virginia, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1562894, issued by the Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for cybersecurity support services. The protester challenges the agency’s evaluation of its technical quotation and argues that the evaluation reflects disparate treatment. The protester also challenges the agency’s best-value tradeoff determination. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On June 6, 2022, the agency issued the RFQ to vendors holding contracts under General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule special item number (SIN) 54151S, for information technology professional services, using the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4. Agency Report (AR), Tab 1, RFQ at 1.[1] The RFQ, which was set aside for small businesses under the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) section 8(a) program,[2] sought a contractor to provide cybersecurity support services for the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). RFQ at 1; Combined Contracting Officer’s Statement and Memorandum of Law (COS/MOL) at 2. The solicitation contemplated the issuance of a fixed-price task order with a cost‑reimbursable component for other direct costs/travel with a base period of one year and two 12-month options. Id. at 1-2. Award was to be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering two evaluation factors of equal importance: technical/ management approach and price. RFQ at 9. The technical/management approach factor included four subfactors of equal importance: (1) staffing/recruitment/ retention/key personnel; (2) security management; (3) security engineering; and (4) security compliance. RFQ at 9. The agency received timely submitted quotations from 21 vendors, including Delviom and Crest. COS/MOL at 8. After review of the quotations, ten were removed from further consideration due to non-compliance with the RFQ’s instructions. Id. at 9. Following the evaluation of the remaining 11 quotations, the contracting officer established a competitive range of four vendors, which included Delviom and Crest. Id. The agency conducted discussions with all vendors in the competitive range through two rounds of evaluation notices (ENs), which described the weaknesses, significant weaknesses, and deficiencies identified by the agency in its evaluation of the vendors’ quotations. Id. DISA received final quotation revisions (FQR) from all four vendors in the competitive range.