F H Cann & Associates, Inc. (RFQ1653552)

B-422308.5,B-422308.6 Dec 03, 2025 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc., of Exeter, New Hampshire, protests the establishment of five blanket purchase agreements (BPA) with CBE Group, Inc., of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Coast Professional, Inc., of Geneseo, New York; Continental Service Group, LLC, of Fairport, New York; Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc., of Arcade, New York; and Transworld Systems, Inc., of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, by the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1653552 for private debt collection services. We deny the protest in part and dismiss it in part. 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: F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc. File: B-422308.5; B-422308.6 Date: December 3, 2025 James C. Fontana, Esq., and Heather Mims, Esq., Warner PLLC, for the protester. Jeff Chiow, Esq., and Olivia Bellini, Esq., Greenberg Traurig, LLP, for CBE Group, Inc.; Katherine B. Burrows, Esq., Abigail H. Finan, Esq., Eric A. Valle, Esq., Isaias Alba, IV, Esq., and Kelly A. Kirchgasser, Esq., Piliero Mazza PLLC, for Coast Professional, Inc.; Christian B. Nagel, Esq., Bailey C. McHale, Esq., Jeremy D. Burkhart, Esq., and Ben R. Smith, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, for Continental Service Group, LLC; Allison M. Siegel, Esq., Christopher G. Griesedieck, Esq., Paul A. Debolt, Esq., and Taylor M. Sorrells, Esq., Venable LLP, for Transworld Systems, Inc.; Jonathan Shaffer, Esq., Haynes and Boone, LLP, for Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc., the intervenors. Mary C. Schaffer, Esq., Ashlee Adams, Esq., and Kirsten Lefebure, Esq., Department of the Treasury, for the agency. Hannah G. Barnes, Esq., and April Y. Shields, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging the agency's decision to increase the number of awards due to a reevaluation of its needs is denied where the agency's determination was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation. 2. Protest challenging the evaluation of the protester's quotation under various evaluation factors is denied where the agency's evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. 3. Protest challenging the agency's establishment of a fee commission schedule under the price factor that vendors could only accept or reject during fee negotiations is dismissed as untimely where the protest was filed after award. DECISION F.H. Cann & Associates, Inc., of Exeter, New Hampshire, protests the establishment of five blanket purchase agreements (BPA) with CBE Group, Inc., of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Coast Professional, Inc., of Geneseo, New York; Continental Service Group, LLC, of Fairport, New York; Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc., of Arcade, New York; and Transworld Systems, Inc., of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, by the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1653552 for private debt collection services. We deny the protest in part and dismiss it in part. BACKGROUND On September 1, 2023, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4, the agency issued the RFQ to vendors holding General Services Administration multiple award schedule contracts with Special Identification Number 561440, for private debt collection services. The Fiscal Service has responsibility, as codified in the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, 31 U.S.C. § 3711, to collect delinquent, non-tax debts owed to the United States. Agency Report (AR), Tab A, RFQ at 2;[1] Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at 1. The solicitation advised that these debts “may be consumer or (consumer and commercial)” and could include administrative debts, such as grant repayments, fines, and medical debt, as well as consumer and commercial loans. RFQ at 8. The RFQ contemplated the establishment of “multiple single-award BPAs,” each with a base period of one year and four option years. Id. at 2. The RFQ established a two-phase evaluation. In phase one, the agency would consider minimum requirements and evaluate quotations on a pass/fail basis.[2] Id. at 27‑28. In phase two, quotations that received an overall passing rating in phase one would be evaluated on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering six factors: utilization of small business concerns, technical approach, management approach and organizational structure, quality control approach, prior experience, and price. Id. at 27.