Environet Inc. (N3943025R2001)

B-423470.2 Sep 05, 2025 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Environet, Inc., a veteran-owned, historically underutilized business zone small business concern of Honolulu, Hawaii challenges the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. N3943025R2001 issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, for the award of multiple indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) global petroleum, oil, and lubricant fuel systems contracts. The protester argues that the RFP's key personnel experience requirements are unduly restrictive of competition and that the agency did not provide offerors with a reasonable amount of time to respond to a solicitation amendment. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of: Environet Inc. File: B-423470.2 Date: September 5, 2025 Jonathan A. DeMella, Esq., Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, for the protester. Katherine Arutunian, Esq., Department of Navy, for the agency. Janis R. Millete, Esq., and John Sorrenti, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging solicitation experience criteria for key personnel as unduly restrictive of competition is denied where the criteria are reasonably related to the agency’s needs. 2. Protest that the agency did not provide a reasonable amount of time to submit proposals after solicitation amendment is denied where the allotted time is reasonable. DECISION Environet, Inc., a veteran-owned, historically underutilized business zone small business concern of Honolulu, Hawaii challenges the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. N3943025R2001 issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, for the award of multiple indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) global petroleum, oil, and lubricant fuel systems contracts. The protester argues that the RFP’s key personnel experience requirements are unduly restrictive of competition and that the agency did not provide offerors with a reasonable amount of time to respond to a solicitation amendment. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The Navy issued the solicitation on March 3, 2025, contemplating the award of multiple IDIQ construction contracts (MACC) in accordance with the source selection procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation part 15. Agency Report (AR), Exh. 1, RFP at 1, 14.[1] The agency anticipates award of “no more than ten contracts” with approximately half to be awarded to small businesses. Id. at 1. The Navy will issue individual task orders for projects valued between $500,000 to $25,000,000 during a base ordering period of 60 months. Id. at 1. Tasks include construction and engineering services to perform inspection, repair and renovation construction services for petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) fuel systems at various “locations worldwide.” See id. at 1, 39 (emphasis omitted). The solicitation establishes that award will be made on a best-value tradeoff basis, based on seven factors: (1) management approach; (2) experience; (3) past performance; (4) technical solution; (5) safety; (6) small business utilization and participation; and (7) price.[2] Id. at 24. The technical factors and past performance factors, when combined, are approximately equal to price. Id. The agency intends to first “evaluate small business proposals and select approximately five (5) offerors for award or retention in the competitive range” before it evaluates the unrestricted proposals, i.e., the proposals from other than small businesses. Id. Under the management approach factor, the solicitation requires certain key personnel positions. As relevant here, the program manager (PGM) responsibilities are as follows: The Program Manager (PGM) is the offeror’s representative who will have full program oversight for the entire contract. The PGM is not expected to be involved in the day-to-day execution of each task order, but will be requested in the event that problems cannot be resolved via other core positions. The PGM shall be responsible for the content of all proposals and compliance with the requirements of the basic contact as well as quality assurance for all task orders. The PGM shall demonstrate capacity to organize, plan, direct, supervise and control all technical and management programs, which include multidisciplinary tasks and requirements, and perform fiscal and administrative functions. The PGM shall be a full[-]time employee of the prime contractor. Id. at 37. The other key personnel position relevant here, is the project manager (PM), whose responsibilities entail: status reporting, financial tracking, scheduling and all project correspondence and documentation. The PM shall demonstrate the ability to collect and organize project documentation and correspondence. The project manager is expected to be the Government’s primary Point of Contact for the task order assigned to them.