Peraton Inc. (47QFCA25R0006)

B-423639,B-423639.2,B-423639.3 Sep 17, 2025 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Peraton, Inc., of Herndon, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT), of Falls Church, Virginia, under task order request (TOR) No. 47QFCA25R0006, issued by the General Services Administration's (GSA) Assisted Acquisition Services for information technology (IT) lifecycle support services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This version has been approved for public release. Page 2 B-423639 et al. proposals and source selection decision, the agency's failure to conduct clarifications, and contends that GDIT had a disqualifying organizational conflict of interest (OCI). We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Peraton Inc. File: B-423639; B-423639.2; B-423639.3 Date: September 17, 2025 Kevin P. Connelly, Esq., Kelly E. Buroker, Esq., Jeffrey M. Lowry, Esq., and Michael P. Ols, Esq., Vedder Price P.C., for the protester. Noah B. Bleicher, Esq., Moshe B. Broder, Esq., Jennifer Eve Retener, Esq., Aime J. Joo, Esq., Ginsey V. Kramarczyk, Esq., and Sierra A. Paskins, Esq., Jenner & Block, LLP, for General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., the intervenor. Barbara Behn Ayala, Esq., General Services Administration, for the agency. Christopher Alwood, Esq., and Evan D. Wesser, 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 and consistent with the solicitation criteria. 2. Protest that the agency should have disqualified the awardee based on an alleged organizational conflict of interest due to the awardee hiring two former government employees who had access to non-public competitively useful information is denied where the agency conducted an investigation and reasonably determined that no conflict exists. 3. Protest that the agency was required to seek clarifications based on evaluated weaknesses and other negative findings in the protester's proposal is denied where the terms of the solicitation did not require the agency to seek clarifications in such circumstances. DECISION Peraton, Inc., of Herndon, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT), of Falls Church, Virginia, under task order request (TOR) No. 47QFCA25R0006, issued by the General Services Administration's (GSA) Assisted Acquisition Services for information technology (IT) lifecycle support services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals and source selection decision, the agency's failure to conduct clarifications, and contends that GDIT had a disqualifying organizational conflict of interest (OCI). We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On January 2, 2025, GSA issued the TOR to firms holding contracts under the GSA Alliant 2 governmentwide acquisition contract, pursuant to the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 16.5. Agency Report (AR), Exh. 1, TOR at 1, Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at 1.[1] The TOR contemplated the issuance of a cost-plus-award-fee task order for IT services in support of the United States Strategic Command's (USSTRATCOM) “full range of enterprise services” primarily at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska, Davis‑Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and other locations with USSTRATCOM IT assets in the continental United States.[2] TOR at 12, 64. The TOR's performance work statement (PWS), located at section C of the TOR, explained that “USSTRATCOM's ability to communicate is foundational to its mission and success” and it utilizes a “robust IT infrastructure consisting of multiple critical systems” to execute its global operations. Id. at 12. The TOR stated that the successful offeror would provide “IT platform and network services that are reliable, efficient, and redundant, to support multiple customers, sites, and security” across the USSTRATCOM IT enterprise. Id. The PWS's purpose statement specified that one TOR requirement necessary to “meet the USSTRATCOM mission” was to integrate the global operations center (GOC).[3] Id. As relevant here, PWS task 2 stated that the contractor would provide IT architecture and engineering services for various USSTRATCOM enterprise technologies, to include audio/visual (A/V) services. Id. at 22. The TOR specifically provided that the contractor would “be responsible for A/V [engineering] within the GOC.” Id. The TOR also stated that “A/V services outside the GOC are handled by a separate contract.” Id.