Szanca Solutions, Inc. (W50NH9-23-R-JRIC)

B-422097 Jan 17, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Szanca Solutions, Inc. (Szanca), a small business located in Bedford, Pennsylvania, protests the issuance of a task order to Global Dimensions, LLC (Global), a small business located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, under request for task order proposals (RFTOP) No. W50NH9-23-R-JRIC, issued by the Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, for linguist/translation support services. Szanca alleges that the agency's evaluation of its proposal was unreasonable in various respects and challenges the best-value tradeoff 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 redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Szanca Solutions, Inc. File: B-422097 Date: January 17, 2024 Antonio R. Franco, Esq., Katherine B. Burrows, Esq., Jacqueline K. Unger, Esq., Patrick T. Rothwell, Esq., and Dozier L. Gardner Jr., Esq., Piliero Mazza PLLC, for the protester. Richard L. Moorhouse, Esq., and Christopher M. O’Brien, Esq., Greenberg Traurig LLP, for Global Dimensions, LLC., the intervenor. Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Tregle, Captain Paula F. Barr, and Andrew J. Smith, Esq., Department of the Army, 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 1. Protest that the agency failed to recognize multiple strengths in the protester’s proposal and to assign a higher technical rating is denied where the record demonstrates that the agency’s evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. The protester’s disagreement with the agency’s evaluation judgment, without more, provides no basis to sustain the protest. 2. Protest that the source selection official improperly made award on a lowest-priced, technically acceptable basis instead of a best-value tradeoff basis is denied where the record reflects that the source selection official reasonably found that the protester’s slight technical advantage did not warrant the associated cost/price premium. DECISION Szanca Solutions, Inc. (Szanca), a small business located in Bedford, Pennsylvania, protests the issuance of a task order to Global Dimensions, LLC (Global), a small business located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, under request for task order proposals (RFTOP) No. W50NH9-23-R-JRIC, issued by the Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, for linguist/translation support services. Szanca alleges that the agency’s evaluation of its proposal was unreasonable in various respects and challenges the best-value tradeoff decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The RFTOP was issued on April 24, 2023, to holders of the Department of Defense’s Language Interpretation and Translation Enterprise II (DLITE II) multiple award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts. The competition was limited to the DLITE II train and sustain pool of small business contractors. RFTOP at 3.[1] The procurement was conducted pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 16.5, which addresses the competition for task orders under IDIQ contracts. Id. at 76. The stated objective of the procurement is to obtain contractor personnel to provide management and linguist services in support of the Joint Reachback Intelligence Community (JRIC) to transcribe, translate, and interpret information from a variety of classified sources in order to meet ongoing, new, and changing operational requirements within the continental United States. AR Exh. 4h, RFTOP amend. 2, Revised Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 20-43.[2] Szanca is the incumbent contractor for the requirement. Protest at 8. The RFTOP contemplated the issuance of a single hybrid time-and-materials task order to be performed over a base year period with four option years and a 6-month option to extend services in accordance with FAR 52.217-8. RFTOP at 21. The solicitation provided that award was to be made on a best-value tradeoff basis considering three factors: (1) human capital management plan; (2) technical experience; and (3) cost/price. Id. at 78-79. For purposes of award, factor 1, human capital management plan was more important than factor 2, technical experience, which was more important than factor 3, cost/price. When combined, the non-cost/price factors were significantly more important than cost/price. Id. at 79. However, the solicitation provided that cost/price might become important when the advantages of a higher-rated, higher cost/price proposal did not merit the associated cost/price premium. Id. The solicitation instructed offerors to submit their proposals in four separate volumes.