Tuknik Government Services, LLC (19AQMM24Q0049)

B-422862.2 Dec 30, 2024 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Tuknik Government Services, LLC, a small business of Anchorage, Alaska, challenges the issuance of a task order to Improvix Technologies, Inc., a small business of Reston, Virginia, pursuant to request for quotations (RFQ) No. 19AQMM24Q0049, issued under the General Services Administration's Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services III governmentwide acquisition contract by the Department of State for cloud program management information technology (IT) services. The protester alleges that the agency erred in evaluating quotations and in the conduct of its best-value tradeoff. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of: Tuknik Government Services, LLC File: B-422862.2 Date: December 30, 2024 Devon E. Hewitt, Esq., and Matthew L. Nicholson, Esq., Potomac Law Group, for the protester. Thomas K. David, Esq., and Lewis Rhodes, Esq., Reston Law Group, LLP, for Improvix Technologies Inc., the intervenor. John W. Cox, Esq., Department of State, for the agency. Michael Willems, Esq., and Evan D. Wesser, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of quotations is denied where the agency’s evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation and applicable procurement law. DECISION Tuknik Government Services, LLC, a small business of Anchorage, Alaska, challenges the issuance of a task order to Improvix Technologies, Inc., a small business of Reston, Virginia, pursuant to request for quotations (RFQ) No. 19AQMM24Q0049, issued under the General Services Administration’s Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resource for Services III governmentwide acquisition contract by the Department of State for cloud program management information technology (IT) services. The protester alleges that the agency erred in evaluating quotations and in the conduct of its best-value tradeoff. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On July 12, 2024, the agency issued the RFQ seeking cloud program management IT services. Contracting Officer’s Statement and Memorandum of Law (COS/MOL) at 3. The RFQ contemplated the issuance of a single task order on a primarily labor-hour basis with a 1-year base period of performance and four 1-year options. Agency Report (AR), Tab 30, RFQ at 13, 61. The RFQ contemplated a best-value tradeoff between cost and seven technical evaluation factors, listed in descending order of importance: (1) present and past experience; (2) recruitment and retention capability; (3) key personnel and staffing; (4) transition plan; (5) technical capability and understanding of the requirements; (6) past performance; and (7) program management and quality assurance. Id. at 61. Additionally, the RFQ contemplated an additional cybersecurity supply chain risk management factor that would be evaluated only on a pass/fail basis, and quotations that did not pass this factor would be ineligible for award. Id. at 57. The RFQ contemplated a multi-phased procurement. In phase one, the agency would evaluate quotations to assess whether vendors met the cybersecurity supply chain risk management factor, as well as evaluating vendors’ present and past experience and recruitment and retention capability. Id. at 57-59. Based on that preliminary evaluation, the RFQ provided that the agency would issue advisory notices to vendors explaining whether each vendor was competitive for award and whether the agency encouraged the vendor to participate in phase two. Id. Vendors who proceeded to phase two were required to conduct an oral presentation addressing the remaining non-price evaluation factors as well as prepare a written submission including their presentation slides, key personnel resumes, and a price quotation. RFQ at 59-61. The agency initially received phase one quotations from ten vendors, including the protester and awardee. COS/MOL at 3. Following the advisory down-select, four vendors opted to continue to phase two, and the vendors conducted oral presentations and submitted phase two quotations. Id. The agency evaluated the quotations of Tuknik and Improvix as follows:   Tuknik Improvix Present and Past Experience Some Confidence High Confidence Recruitment and Retention Capability Some Confidence High Confidence Key Personnel and Staffing Some Confidence High Confidence Transition Plan High Confidence High Confidence Technical Capability and Understanding of the Requirements Some Confidence High Confidence Past Performance High Confidence High Confidence Program Management and Quality Assurance Some Confidence High Confidence Total Evaluated Price $165,409,638 $144,991,052   Id.