Strategic Alliance, Inc. (47QRCA23R0005)

B-423359 May 30, 2025 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Strategic Alliance, Inc. (SAI), of El Segundo, California, protests the elimination of its proposal from the competition under request for proposals (RFP) No. 47QRCA23R0005, issued by the General Services Administration (GSA), for total integrated solutions for a multitude of services-based requirements. The protester contends that the agency unreasonably concluded that the protester was ineligible for award under the solicitation, which was set aside for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), because at the time of proposal submission, the protester was not a certified WOSB and did not have a pending application for WOSB certification in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). The protester also contends that the agency engaged in disparate treatment by failing to eliminate other proposals from the competition despite those offerors lacking the required WOSB status. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of: Strategic Alliance, Inc. File: B-423359 Date: May 30, 2025 Tamika L. Medley for the protester. Christopher Murphy, Esq., General Services Administration, for the agency. Jacob M. Talcott, Esq., and Jennifer D. Westfall-McGrail, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of proposals is denied where the evaluation was reasonable, in accordance with the terms of the solicitation and applicable regulations. 2. Protest contending that the agency engaged in disparate treatment is denied where the protester fails to demonstrate that differences in the evaluation did not stem from differences in the proposals. DECISION Strategic Alliance, Inc. (SAI), of El Segundo, California, protests the elimination of its proposal from the competition under request for proposals (RFP) No. 47QRCA23R0005, issued by the General Services Administration (GSA), for total integrated solutions for a multitude of services-based requirements. The protester contends that the agency unreasonably concluded that the protester was ineligible for award under the solicitation, which was set aside for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs), because at the time of proposal submission, the protester was not a certified WOSB and did not have a pending application for WOSB certification in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS).[1] The protester also contends that the agency engaged in disparate treatment by failing to eliminate other proposals from the competition despite those offerors lacking the required WOSB status. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On June 15, 2023, GSA issued the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Plus (OASIS+) WOSB solicitation, seeking proposals to provide agencies with total integrated solutions for a multitude of services-based requirements on a global basis.[2] AR, Tab 4, RFP at 21. The solicitation contemplated the award of an unlimited number of indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts. Id. at 114, 198. The due date for proposals, as amended, was October 20, 2023. Contracting Officer’s Statement (COS) at 3. The solicitation provided that the agency intended to award contracts to all qualifying offerors that, among other things, submitted a proposal that conformed to the requirements of the solicitation and proposed a fair and reasonable price. RFP at 198. As relevant here, the solicitation further provided that offerors must be certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a WOSB or an Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) pursuant to 13 CFR § 127.300 and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 19.15 to be eligible for award. RFP at 23. The solicitation permitted offerors to submit a proposal if the offeror had a pending application for EDWOSB or WOSB certification in DSBS. Id. The Elimination of SAI’s Proposal from the Competition The agency received proposals from 589 offerors by the due date on October 20, 2023, including one from SAI. COS at 8. On September 25, 2024, the agency informed SAI that its proposal “does not appear to be eligible for award” because SAI was not an SBA‑certified WOSB and did not have a pending application for WOSB certification at the time of proposal submission. Id. at 9; AR, Tab 5, SAI DSBS Record at 2. The agency further informed SAI that if it believed the foregoing assessment of ineligibility to be inaccurate, it could “provide evidence to the contrary of [the] SBA certification at the time of offer.” COS at 9. On September 28, 2024, SAI provided a copy of an automated email from SBA dated October 19, 2023, which confirmed that SBA had received SAI’s application to participate in the SBA WOSB Federal Contract Program. Id.; Protest, exh. 5, SBA Certification Receipt at 1.