AccelGov, LLC (832366806)

B-422618.2,B-422618.3 Aug 30, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights AccelGov, LLC, an economically-disadvantaged woman-owned small business joint venture of Bethesda, Maryland, protests the issuance of a task order to CompQsoft, Inc., a small business of Leesburg, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 832366806, issued by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for information technology (IT) support services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals and resulting best-value tradeoff. 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: AccelGov, LLC File: B-422618.2; B-422618.3 Date: August 30, 2024 W. Brad English, Esq., and Taylor R. Holt, Esq., Maynard Nexsen, PC, for the protester. Adam K. Lasky, Esq., Erica L. Bakies, Esq., and Sarah E. Barney, Esq., Seyfarth Shaw LLP, for CompQsoft, Inc., the intervenor. Joseph A. Buitron, Esq., Colleen M. Eagan, Esq., and Lieutenant Colonel Jason R. Hull, Defense Information Systems Agency, 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 arguing that evaluators unreasonably failed to assign additional strengths in the protester's proposal is denied where the protester presents nothing more than its disagreement with the agency's assessment of the proposal's merits. 2. Protest contention that the agency evaluated proposals in a disparate manner is denied where the record reflects that evaluation differences were the result of differences in offerors' proposals. 3. Protest that the best-value tradeoff failed to consider the protester's lower price is denied where the record does not support the protester's contention, but shows instead that selection of the awardee's higher technically rated, higher-priced proposal was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation. DECISION AccelGov, LLC, an economically-disadvantaged woman-owned small business joint venture of Bethesda, Maryland, protests the issuance of a task order to CompQsoft, Inc., a small business of Leesburg, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 832366806, issued by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for information technology (IT) support services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals and resulting best-value tradeoff. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On April 4, 2024, using the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 16.5, the agency issued the solicitation to small-business holders of DISA's ENCORE III multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts. Agency Report (AR), Tab 3, RFP at 1.[1] The solicitation sought proposals for IT services “covering a full range of technical, functional, and managerial expertise” in support of “the Navy's Submarine Maintenance Engineering, Planning and Procurement (SUBMEPP)” function. Id.; AR, Tab 3a., Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 1. The solicitation contemplated issuance of a fixed-price order with cost-reimbursable elements for other direct costs (ODCs) such as travel, with a 1year base period and four 1-year option periods. RFP at 1. Award was to be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, considering offerors' technical/management approach and price. RFP at 2-4. The technical/management approach factor consisted of the following three subfactors, which were of equal importance: (1) technical experience; (2) staffing plan; and (3) management approach. Id. at 4-5. Each subfactor would be assigned an adjectival rating of outstanding, good, acceptable, marginal, or unacceptable, but the technical/management factor, itself, would not be assigned an overall rating. AR, Tab 9, Source Selection Decision (SSD) at 3-4. The solicitation established the technical/management approach factor was more important than price, and stated that price would be evaluated for reasonableness and completeness. RFP at 4-5. For price evaluation purposes, the solicitation provided “plug numbers to be used by all offerors when proposing ODCs,” and stated that the agency reserved the right “to conduct a realism analysis.” Id. at 5. The agency received six initial proposals, including those submitted by AccelGov and CompQsoft, and conducted discussions with--and requested final proposal revisions from--all six offerors. AR, Tab 9, SSD at 3, 5. The evaluators assessed AccelGov's and CompQsoft's final proposals as follows:   AccelGov CompQsoft Technical/Management Approach     Technical Experience Acceptable Good Staffing Plan Acceptable Good Management Approach Acceptable Acceptable Price $29,217,674.18 $47,493,792.51 Id.