Quantum Ventura, Inc. (SOCOM25D-004)

B-423603 Jun 23, 2025 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Quantum Ventura, Inc. (QV), a small business of San Jose, California, protests the rejection of its phase I proposal under Department of Defense (DOD), United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) broad agency announcement (BAA) No. SOCOM25D-004, which invited research and development proposals for down range crosswind sensing technologies. The protester contends the agency unreasonably rejected QV's proposal on the basis of submitting non-compliant pricing because any issues with QV's price submission were due to errors in the pricing template included in the BAA. We dismiss the protest as an untimely challenge to the terms of the BAA. View Decision Decision Matter of: Quantum Ventura, Inc. File: B-423603 Date: July 23, 2025 Srini Vasan, for the protester. Colonel Nina R. Padalino, Lieutenant Colonel Satura M. Gabriel, Timothy L. Kelly, Esq., and Isabell P. Cutting, Esq., Department of the Air Force, 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 Protest challenging agency’s evaluation of phase I proposal is dismissed as untimely where challenge is based on an alleged defect in the broad agency announcement that was apparent from the face of the announcement, but protest was not brought until after the closing date for submission of proposals. DECISION Quantum Ventura, Inc. (QV), a small business of San Jose, California, protests the rejection of its phase I proposal under Department of Defense (DOD), United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) broad agency announcement (BAA) No. SOCOM25D-004, which invited research and development proposals for down range crosswind sensing technologies. The protester contends the agency unreasonably rejected QV’s proposal on the basis of submitting non‑compliant pricing because any issues with QV’s price submission were due to errors in the pricing template included in the BAA. We dismiss the protest as an untimely challenge to the terms of the BAA. BACKGROUND The STTR program is a government-funded program that solicits proposals in three phases from domestic small business concerns to engage in federal research and development. CMSoft, Inc., B-419370, Jan. 26, 2021, 2021 CPD ¶ 36 at 1. Agencies use the STTR program to award contracts or grants to small business concerns that participate in cooperative research and development. Id.; see also 15 U.S.C. § 638(e)(6). In phase I (project feasibility), the agency evaluates the scientific, technical and commercial merit of submitted ideas. Id. Phases II and III are not relevant here, but involve technology development and commercialization, respectively. Id. On April 2, 2025, DOD issued its annual department-wide STTR BAA, under which SOCOM issued the topic-specific announcement at issue here, which sought phase I proposals for down range crosswind sensing technologies.[1] Req. for Dismissal (RFD) exh. A, DOD‑BAA at 1; RFD exh. B, SOCOM-BAA at 6. Specifically, SOCOM sought proposals “to develop applied research towards developing the capability to measure down range crosswind for long range precision small-arms engagements.” RFD exh. B, SOCOM-BAA at 7. Offerors were required to submit proposals through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP).[2] Id. at 1. Relevant here, the announcement required proposals to include a cost volume and provided that “[a] minimum of 40 [percent] of the research and/or analytical work in Phase I must be conducted by the proposing firm.” RFD exh. B, SOCOM‑BAA at 2. An additional minimum 30 percent of the research and analytical work was required to “be conducted by a not-for-profit (typically an education institution or laboratory).” Id. The announcement also required offerors to submit a prescribed “cost volume template” to be “located on DSIP during proposal submission,” and explained that “[o]nce the proposal is initiated in DSIP, the Offeror will gain access to the required USSOCOM specific Cost Volume instructions and template.” Id. With respect to evaluation, the announcement established the agency would conduct an initial responsiveness assessment, and that “[n]on-responsive proposals will not be evaluated.” RFD exh. B, SOCOM-BAA at 4. Relevant here, the announcement advised “[p]roposals that do not comply with the requirement that 40 [percent] of the work be executed by the proposing firm and 30 [percent] of the work be executed by one partnering nonprofit research institution” would be deemed non‑responsive. Id. The DOD-wide announcement established a due date for phase I proposals of 12 p.m. Eastern Time on May 21, 2025. RFD exh. A, DOD‑BAA at 1. On May 21 at 9:56 a.m., QV submitted its phase I proposal through DSIP. Protest attach.