String King Lacrosse, LLC (W911QY24B0001)

B-422646.2,B-422646.3 Nov 13, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights String King Lacrosse, LLC, of Gardena, California, a small business, protests the award of two indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts to Heartland Manufacturing, Inc., of Brentwood, New York, and Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc., of Virginia Beach, Virginia, both small businesses, under invitation for bids (IFB) No. W911QY24B0001. The IFB was issued by the Department of the Army, Army Materiel Command, to fulfill orders for an estimated quantity of 194,000 units of the Army's cold weather glove system. The protester contends that the Army misevaluated the firm's bid samples as unacceptable and improperly rejected its bid. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. No party requested redactions; we are therefore releasing the decision in its entirety. Decision Matter of: String King Lacrosse, LLC File: B-422646.2; B-422646.3 Date: November 13, 2024 Eric S. Crusius, Esq., Tanner N. Slaughter, Esq., and John McAdams, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, for the protester. Wade L. Brown, Esq., Department of the Army, for the agency. Paul N. Wengert, Esq., and Todd C. Culliton, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest that agency misevaluated protester’s bid samples as defective and therefore found the bid nonresponsive is denied where the record demonstrates that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation. DECISION String King Lacrosse, LLC, of Gardena, California, a small business, protests the award of two indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts to Heartland Manufacturing, Inc., of Brentwood, New York, and Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc., of Virginia Beach, Virginia, both small businesses, under invitation for bids (IFB) No. W911QY24B0001. The IFB was issued by the Department of the Army, Army Materiel Command, to fulfill orders for an estimated quantity of 194,000 units of the Army’s cold weather glove system. The protester contends that the Army misevaluated the firm’s bid samples as unacceptable and improperly rejected its bid. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The Army issued the IFB on March 5, 2024, seeking bids for up to two IDIQ contracts to fill orders for the glove systems for a base year and four option years. The cold weather glove system is a “[g]overnment-designed, integrated set of handwear designed to provide protection against cold and extreme cold temperatures, including wet cold, dry cold, and high winds, while maintaining maximum possible dexterity and tactility.” Agency Report (AR), Tab 3, IFB at 2. The IFB sought bids for orders of four individual components and complete kits consisting of a pair (left and right) of all four components: full mitten shells, trigger finger mitten shells, trigger finger mitten liners, and intermediate cold weather gloves.[1] IFB at 4-6. The IFB provided instructions for potential bidders to request access to an electronic file containing the detailed patterns[2] for the four components, which bidders could view and manipulate using Gerber AccuMark, a commercial software application. IFB at 63‑64. Elements of each component were set forth in four specifications that were provided as attachments. The first was MIL‑DTL-32707A, which was titled Detail Specification: Glove, Intermediate Cold Weather. IFB at 69; AR, Tab 7, IFB attach. 4. The second, MIL-DTL-32708 (revision 2) was titled Detail Specification: Liner, Trigger Finger Mitten, Extreme Cold Weather. AR, Tab 6, IFB attach. 3. The third was MIL-DTL-32709 (revision 2) titled Detail Specification: Mitten Shells, Full And Trigger Finger, Extreme Cold Weather. AR, Tab 5, IFB attach. 2. The fourth was a specification for item labels. AR, Tab 4, IFB attach. 1. For the glove component, the specifications also provided small line drawings[3] of the finished item with arrows to indicate where measurements would be taken to ensure finished items had the correct dimensions for each size (extra small, small, medium, large, or extra large). AR, Tab 7, IFB attach. 4 at 10‑12. Enlarged versions of the four line drawings, labeled as figures 1 through 4, were referenced in the glove specification as showing the application of additional elements: webbing strap, buckle, elasticized draw cord, cord lock, cord end piece, clasp, nylon tape, rib cuff, and wrist elastic. Id. at 6-7, 21-24. The IFB required the contractor to manufacture the components according to the government design reflected in the pattern: The Government patterns shall not be altered in any way, and are to be used only as a guide for cutting the contractor’s working patterns. The working patterns shall be identical to the Government patterns, except that additional notching, if needed, to facilitate manufacture, may be added.