AttainX, Inc. (70RCSJ23Q00000039)

B-422141.2 Jun 20, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights AttainX, Inc., an economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business of Herndon, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Global Solutions Group, Inc., (GSG), an economically disadvantaged small business of Oak Park, Michigan, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 70RCSJ23Q00000039, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for information technology (IT) services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of quotations and resulting source selection decision. We deny the protest. View Decision 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. Matter of: AttainX, Inc. File: B-422141.2 Date: June 20, 2024 Samuel S. Finnerty, Esq., Katherine B. Burrows, Esq., Daniel J. Figuenick, III, Esq., and Kelly A. Kirchgasser, Esq., Piliero Mazza PLLC, for the protester. Stephanie D. Wilson, Esq., Rachael C. Haley, Esq., and Charles L. Bonani, Esq., Berenzweig Leonard LLP, for Global Solutions Group, Inc., the intervenor. Jeffrey D. Webb, Esq., Department of Homeland Security, for the agency. Heather Self, Esq., and Peter H. Tran, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging assessment of weaknesses in protester's quotation based on evaluators' personal knowledge of incumbent subcontractor's technical execution challenges is denied where agency, while not required to consider close at hand information in a technical evaluation, was not precluded from considering such information if relevant. 2. Protest challenging assessment of awardee's past performance as satisfactory, rather than neutral, is denied where the agency's evaluation error did not competitively prejudice the protester. DECISION AttainX, Inc., an economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business of Herndon, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Global Solutions Group, Inc., (GSG), an economically disadvantaged small business of Oak Park, Michigan, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 70RCSJ23Q00000039, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for information technology (IT) services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of quotations and resulting source selection decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On July 21, 2023, using the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 16.5, the agency issued the solicitation to economically disadvantaged small business holders of the General Services Administration's Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services (STARS) III governmentwide acquisition contract (a type of indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract). Agency Report, (AR), Tab 7, RFQ at 1-2.[1] The solicitation sought quotations for the provision of IT services to DHS's Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for the operation and modernization of the priority telecommunications services (PTS). AR, Tab 8, Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 1, 3. The PTS provides priority communications for emergency responders and government officials over the commercial carrier networks. Id. at 1. The solicitation sought services in six required task areas, each with a number of subtasks, and an optional transition services seventh task area. Id. generally at 4-21. As relevant here, one of the solicitation's many required tasks is for the successful contractor to “coordinate with DHS/CISA as appropriate to ensure an Authority to Operate (ATO) of the applications and infrastructure in use by PTS OSS [operational support services] as outlined by NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] and DHS policy.” Id. at 11. The solicitation contemplated award of a single hybrid time-and-materials/fixed-price task order with a 1-year base period and three 1-year option periods. RFQ at 2-3, 8. The solicitation provided award would be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering management approach, past performance, and price. Id. at 7. The solicitation established that management approach was more important than past performance, and the two non-price factors, when combined, were significantly more important than price. Id. In evaluating quotations, the agency would assign each vendor's management approach an adjectival rating of superior, good, satisfactory, marginal, or unsatisfactory, and for each vendor's past performance would assign an adjectival rating of neutral, superior, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory. AR, Tab 26, Source Selection Decision (SSD) at 3-4. The agency received four quotations. After initial evaluations, DHS selected GSG's quotation as representing the best value and issued GSG a task order in September of 2023. AR, Tab 26, SSD at 1-2.