Competitive Innovations, LLC (70T05023Q7500N001)

B-422197.3 Sep 06, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Competitive Innovations, LLC (CI), of Arlington, Virginia, protests the Department of Homeland Security's rejection of the quotation CI submitted in response to request for quotations (RFQ) No. 70T05023Q7500N001 to provide integrated program management support services (IPMSS). The agency's rejection was based on CI's failure to comply with the solicitation requirements regarding mapping of labor categories to CI's federal supply schedule (FSS) contract. CI asserts that the agency should have considered CI's post-closing-time modification of its FSS contract. Protest at 1-2, 19-24. 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: Competitive Innovations, LLC File: B-422197.3 Date: September 6, 2024 Timothy B. Mills, Esq., Mills Law Group LLP, for the protester. John R. Prairie, Esq., J. Ryan Frazee, Esq., Jennifer Eve Retener, Esq., and W. Benjamin Phillips, III, Esq., Wiley Rein LLP, for RELI Group, Inc., an intervenor. Michael Kiffney, Esq., Christian Jordan, Esq., and Christopher J. Curry, Esq., Department of Homeland Security, for the agency. Glenn G. Wolcott, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Agency properly determined that protester's quotation failed to comply with the solicitation requirements regarding mapping of labor categories to protester's federal supply schedule contract and rejected protester's attempt to revise its quotation after the closing time for submission of quotations had passed. DECISION Competitive Innovations, LLC (CI), of Arlington, Virginia, protests the Department of Homeland Security's rejection of the quotation CI submitted in response to request for quotations (RFQ) No. 70T05023Q7500N001 to provide integrated program management support services (IPMSS). The agency's rejection was based on CI's failure to comply with the solicitation requirements regarding mapping of labor categories to CI's federal supply schedule (FSS) contract. CI asserts that the agency should have considered CI's post-closing-time modification of its FSS contract. Protest at 1-2, 1924.[1] We deny the protest. BACKGROUND In February 2023, pursuant to section 8.405-3 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), issued the RFQ, seeking to establish multiple five-year blanket purchase agreements with vendors holding certain FSS contracts. Agency Report (AR), Tab 1, RFQ at 1-2. As amended, the solicitation provided that source selection would be based on three evaluation factors: prior experience; technical approach/management approach; and price.[2] AR, Tab 11, RFQ amend. 10 at 46-48. Of relevance here, the solicitation identified various labor categories (LCATs), along with applicable category descriptions and education/experience requirements, for which vendors were required to submit fully burdened labor rates based on the labor categories in their FSS contracts. In this context, the solicitation stated: Labor categories, labor category descriptions, education/experience, and rates must be clearly mapped to your GSA [General Services Administration] schedule contract. . . . Quoters shall provide a copy of their GSA Price Lists for all five years for verification of pricing. The Quoter shall ensure that a GSA Equivalent labor category and description is included with their submission in sufficient detail for evaluation. * * * * * If any of the equivalent GSA Labor Categories, GSA Labor Category Descriptions, and Education/Experience do not clearly map to the Government provided Labor Categories, Labor Category Descriptions, and Education/Experience, the Quoter may be eliminated from award consideration. Id. at 45-47. CI submitted its phase I quotation in March 2023, its initial phase II quotation in December 2023, and a revised phase II quotation on March 4, 2024. By letter dated March 26, 2024, the agency advised CI that one of the FSS LCATs on which CI relied for its quotation did not map to the required solicitation LCAT, stating: CI's [redacted] equivalent LCAT description does not clearly map to that of TSA's Acquisition Support Specialist LCAT description. Please confirm where in CI's GSA LCAT [redacted] description that it states services in contracting, procurement, or acquisition activities.[[3]] CI will be allowed to submit a final revised Phase II Quote. . . .The final revised quote must be submitted via GSA's eBuy by 10 am on 3 April 2024. AR, Tab 18, Phase II Communication Letter at 1.[4] Prior to 10 a.m. on April 3, 2024, CI submitted its revised quotation.