Federal Working Group, Inc. (2031JW23Q00021)

B-422251.7 Sep 10, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Federal Working Group, Inc. (FWG), of McLean, Virginia, protests the issuance a task order by the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), to Intellect Solutions, LLC, pursuant to request for quotations (RFQ) No. 2031JW23Q00021, to perform various information technology (IT) services. FWG challenges several aspects of the agency's evaluation, including the agency's determination that the key personnel resumes FWG submitted rendered its quotation unacceptable. Protest at 14-15. FWG also asserts that the agency's evaluation of Intellect's quotation was flawed. Id. at 20-21. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. The entire decision has now been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Federal Working Group, Inc. File: B-422251.7 Date: September 10, 2024 Jonathan D. Shaffer, Esq., Edmund M. Amorosi, Esq., and Michael Maroulis, Esq., Haynes and Boone, LLP, for the protester. Scott M. McCaleb, Esq., Tracye Winfrey Howard, Esq., and Lisa M. Rechden, Esq., Wiley Rein LLP, for Intellect Solutions, LLC, the intervenor. Stephanie Quade, Esq., Department of the Treasury, 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 reasonably rejected protester's revised quotation due to protester's failure to comply with the solicitation's instructions for the submission of key personnel resumes and the agency reasonably determined that awardee's revised quotation met the solicitation's key personnel requirements. DECISION Federal Working Group, Inc. (FWG), of McLean, Virginia, protests the issuance a task order by the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), to Intellect Solutions, LLC, pursuant to request for quotations (RFQ) No. 2031JW23Q00021, to perform various information technology (IT) services. FWG challenges several aspects of the agency's evaluation, including the agency's determination that the key personnel resumes FWG submitted rendered its quotation unacceptable. Protest at 14-15.[1] FWG also asserts that the agency's evaluation of Intellect's quotation was flawed. Id. at 20-21. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND In January 2023, the agency issued the solicitation as a small business set-aside, pursuant to the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 8.4; the solicitation sought quotations from FSS schedule 70 contractors to perform various IT services for the OCC.[2] As amended, the solicitation provided for source selection on the basis of a best-value tradeoff between the following evaluation factors: corporate experience, key personnel resumes, and price. RFQ at 151. Of relevance here, the solicitation identified four key personnel positions for which vendors were required to submit resumes for the particular personnel proposed.[3] For each position, the solicitation identified the minimum qualifications/experience that resumes must demonstrate, along with “preferred certifications” the agency would like the proposed personnel to possess.[4] Id. at 149, 17073. The solicitation further provided a “Key Personnel Resume Template” for each position[5] and stated, “[t]he Quoter shall submit a resume for each job title . . . using the Key Personnel Resume Template,” adding: “Any information provided in addition to the Key Personnel Resume Template will not be considered or evaluated.” Id. at 149. Finally, the solicitation stated: “Quoters shall examine and follow all instructions. Failure to comply with the instructions in any way may result in a determination that the quote will not be evaluated by the Government.” Id. at 144. On February 22, 2023, quotations were submitted by several vendors, including FWG and Intellect.[6] On December 4, the agency selected Intellect's quotation for award. On December 13, FWG filed its initial protest with our Office, challenging various aspects of the agency's source selection decision, including its evaluation of key personnel. Thereafter, FWG filed four supplemental protests (on January 2, January 22, January 24, and February 1, 2024, respectively). Among other things, FWG complained that Intellect's quotation had “materially altered the preferred certifications section of the mandatory RFQ resume format” by “add[ing] new rows for non-preferred certifications.” See 2nd Supp. Protest, Jan. 22, 2024, at 3.