Intecon LLC (FA251823R0017)

B-422124.2 Apr 22, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Intecon, LLC, of Charleston, South Carolina, protests the issuance of a task order to ASIRTek Federal Services, LLC, of San Antonio, Texas, under fair opportunity proposal request (FOPR) No. FA251823R0017, issued by the Department of the Air Force, United States Space Force, for non-personal support services. The protester challenges various aspects of the agency's source selection decision, including the conduct of interchanges, the technical evaluation of the protester's proposal, and 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: Intecon LLC File: B-422124.2 Date: April 22, 2024 Eric S. Crusius, Esq., Richard Ariel, Esq., and Tanner N. Slaughter, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, for the protester. Jeffery M. Chiow, Esq., Eleanor M. Ross, Esq., and Cassidy Kim, Esq., Greenberg Traurig LLP, for ASIRTek Federal Services, LLC, the intervenor. Colonel Christine Piper, Major Oladipo O. Odejide, and Blaine E. Beckstrom, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. April Y. Shields, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging various aspects of the agency’s source selection decision--including the conduct of interchanges, the technical evaluation of the protester’s proposal, and the best-value tradeoff decision--is denied where the record shows that the protested aspects of the agency’s source selection decision were reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation and applicable procurement law and regulation. DECISION Intecon, LLC, of Charleston, South Carolina, protests the issuance of a task order to ASIRTek Federal Services, LLC, of San Antonio, Texas, under fair opportunity proposal request (FOPR) No. FA251823R0017, issued by the Department of the Air Force, United States Space Force, for non-personal support services. The protester challenges various aspects of the agency’s source selection decision, including the conduct of interchanges, the technical evaluation of the protester’s proposal, and the best-value tradeoff decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The agency issued the FOPR on June 20, 2023, to small businesses holding indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts under small business pool 1 of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) program. Agency Report (AR), Tab 18, FOPR amend. 3 (FOPR) at 1.[1] The procurement was conducted pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 16.505 procedures. Id.The FOPR sought a contractor to support the agency’s headquarters space operation command and its risk management framework cybersecurity program. The contractor would be responsible for providing a range of technical, system analysis, and analytical support services.Id. at 2; AR, Tab 19, FOPR Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 3. The FOPR contemplated the issuance of a single fixed-price task order to be performed over a base year period (including a transition period), four 1-year options, and an optional 6-month extension. FOPR at 2, 7‑8. The FOPR stated that award would be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering a technical factor and price. Id. at 4. The technical factor consisted of two subfactors: a staffing approach subfactor, to be evaluated on an acceptable or unacceptable (pass/fail) basis; and a technical and management approach subfactor. Id. at 4‑5. The technical and management approach subfactor was further subdivided into two focus areas--management approach and technical problem-solving approach--that would each be assigned ratings of outstanding, good, acceptable, or unacceptable. Id. at 4‑7. Ultimately, the FOPR provided that the agency would use “a combination of acceptable/unacceptable (pass/fail) and subjective tradeoff methodology as the basis for award” and, in this regard, the technical and management approach subfactor was “considered moderately more important” than the staffing approach subfactor and price. Id. at 4. On or before the FOPR’s July 24 closing date, the agency received initial proposals. The agency then engaged in communications with the offerors about their proposals, which the parties refer to as interchanges,[2] and gave offerors the opportunity to submit revised proposals. The agency also amended the FOPR to require offerors to submit revised pricing. In all, on or before September 1, the agency received revised proposals from four offerors, including Intecon and ASIRTek.[3] AR, Tab 33, Fair Opportunity Decision Document at 1‑2.