Halvik Corporation (TORFP-415828)

B-421567.3,B-421567.4 Feb 12, 2024 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Halvik Corporation (Halvik), a small business of Vienna, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Federal Information Systems, Inc. (FIS), of San Antonio, Texas, under task order request for proposals (TORFP) No. 415828, issued by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), for cybersecurity services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals and resulting award decision. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of: Halvik Corporation File: B-421567.3; B-421567.4 Date: February 12, 2024 Alexander J. Brittin, Esq., Brittin Law Group, PLLC, and Mary Pat Buckenmeyer, Esq., Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig PLLC, for the protester. Jeffery M. Chiow, Esq., Eleanor M. Ross, Esq., and Shirin Afsous, Esq., Greenberg Traurig, LLP, for Federal Information Systems, Inc., the intervenor. Erika L. Whelan-Retta, Esq., and Josephine R. Farinelli, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. Kyle E. Gilbertson, Esq., and Peter H. Tran, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging the agency’s conduct of discussions is denied where the record provides no basis on which to conclude that discussions were misleading or improper, and dismissed where protester failed to timely raise unequal discussions allegations. 2. Protest challenging the agency’s cost realism evaluation of awardee’s proposal is denied where the record shows that the analysis was reasonable and conducted in accordance with the solicitation. DECISION Halvik Corporation (Halvik), a small business of Vienna, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Federal Information Systems, Inc. (FIS), of San Antonio, Texas, under task order request for proposals (TORFP) No. 415828, issued by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), for cybersecurity services. The protester challenges the agency’s evaluation of proposals and resulting award decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The agency issued the TORFP on July 22, 2022, under the Department of the Army’s multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software, and Solutions Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-3 Services (ITES-3S) contract vehicle, in accordance with the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 16. Contracting Officer’s Statement (COS) at 2; Agency Report (AR), Tab 35, TORFP at 1.[1] The solicitation sought a contractor to provide enterprise-wide cybersecurity support and solutions to the Special Operations Forces Information Environment to assist in keeping its network and information systems secure. TORFP at 1; AR, Tab 36, Statement of Work (SOW) at 2. USSOCOM issued the TORFP as a total small business set-aside. TORFP at 1. The solicitation contemplated the issuance of a single cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable type task order, with a period of performance consisting of a 7-month base period and up to four 1-year option periods. Id. The solicitation provided for award to be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering the following five evaluation factors: (1) facility clearance, (2) management, (3) technical, (4) performance risk, and (5) price.[2] AR, Tab 39, TORFP attach. 5 at 1. The facility clearance factor would be evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. Id. The management factor was the most important evaluation factor and was slightly more important than the performance risk factor. Id. The performance risk factor, in turn, was significantly more important than the technical factor. Id. For the management and technical factors, the solicitation explained that the agency would assign offers one of the following adjectival ratings: outstanding, good, acceptable, marginal, or unacceptable. Id. at 3-6. Performance risk would be evaluated as: very low risk, low risk, moderate risk, or high risk. Id. at 7-8. All non-price factors, when combined, were significantly more important than price. Id. at 1. Eight offerors submitted proposals by the August 26 submission deadline. COS at 2. The agency conducted multiple rounds of discussions, eliminating two offerors from the competitive range, and requested the remaining six offerors to submit final proposal revisions (FPRs) by February 16, 2023. Id. at 3. All six offerors submitted their FPRs by that due date. Id. On March 9, the agency awarded the task order to Halvik. Id. FIS filed a protest with our Office, challenging the agency’s award decision. On July 5, our Office issued a decision sustaining FIS’s protest in part. Federal Info. Sys., Inc., B‑421567, B-421567.2, July 5, 2023, 2023 CPD ¶ 153. We sustained FIS’s challenge to the agency’s technical evaluation of Halvik’s proposal and denied the remaining allegations. Id. at 3-15.