Trans-Care Ambulance (36C25025B0017)

B-423804 Dec 02, 2025 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Ambulance Management Services, Ltd. d/b/a Trans-Care Ambulance (Trans-Care), a small business of Terra Haute, Indiana, protests the award of a contract to Heartland Ambulance Service, LLC, a small business of Muncie, Indiana, under invitation for bids (IFB) No. 36C25025B0017, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for non-emergency ambulance transportation services. The protester primarily asserts that the agency made an improper affirmative responsibility determination when it selected Heartland for award. We dismiss the protest because the protester is not an interested party to challenge the award of the contract. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Ambulance Management Services, Ltd. d/b/a Trans-Care Ambulance File: B-423804 Date: December 2, 2025 Shane J. McCall, Esq., Nicole D. Pottroff, Esq., John L. Holtz, Esq., Stephanie L. Ellis, Esq., Gregory P. Weber, Esq., and Annie E. Birney, Esq., Koprince McCall Pottroff, LLC, for the protester. Katherine B. Burrows, Esq., Kristine Cralle, Esq., Jacqueline K. Unger, Esq., and Eric A. Valle, Esq., Piliero Mazza, PLLC, for Heartland Ambulance Service, LLC, the intervenor. Jared M. Levin, Esq., Department of Veterans Affairs, for the agency. Christine Martin, Esq., and Tania Calhoun, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest that the agency made an improper affirmative responsibility determination for the awardee is dismissed where the protester is not an interested party to challenge the responsibility determination because the protester would not be in line for award if its protest were sustained. DECISION Ambulance Management Services, Ltd. d/b/a Trans-Care Ambulance (Trans-Care), a small business of Terra Haute, Indiana, protests the award of a contract to Heartland Ambulance Service, LLC, a small business of Muncie, Indiana, under invitation for bids (IFB) No. 36C25025B0017, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for non-emergency ambulance transportation services. The protester primarily asserts that the agency made an improper affirmative responsibility determination when it selected Heartland for award. We dismiss the protest because the protester is not an interested party to challenge the award of the contract. BACKGROUND The VA issued the IFB on February 19, 2025, as a total small business set-aside, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 14 for non-emergency ambulance transportation services for the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, and its associated community-based outpatient clinics, and affiliated healthcare clinics. Protest, exh. A, IFB at 1; Protest, exh. C, IFB, amend. 0001, Performance Work Statement (PWS) at ¶ 1. The contractor will provide all vehicles, personnel, management, supplies, equipment, and necessary reporting for stretcher transports, basic life support, advanced life support, and critical care transport services. PWS at ¶ 1. The solicitation contemplated the award of a fixed-price contract to be performed over five 1-year ordering periods. Id. at 5.[1] The IFB stated that sealed bids were due by 2:00 pm EST on March 21, at the Network 10 Contracting Office at 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where a public bid opening would immediately follow. IFB at 1, 4; IFB, amend. 0001 at 1. The public bid opening was conducted as stated in the IFB. Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at ¶ 6. The agency received six bids, including those of Trans-Care and Heartland, and were recorded as follows:   Total Price Heartland Ambulance Service, LLC $18,452,800 Western-Star Hospital Authority $25,654,500 Around The Clock Transportation Corp. $25,746,200 AmeriPro EMS LLC of Indiana $26,616,737 Trans-Care $31,049,618 EMS Team LLC $46,554,625 COS at ¶ 8; Agency Report (AR), Exh. 4, Bid Abstract; AR, Exh. 5, Price Determination at 1. It was determined that Heartland's bid was the lowest with a total price of $18,452,800, and Trans-Care was the fifth-lowest bid with a total price of $31,049,618. AR, Exh. 5, Price Determination at 1. Neither Trans-Care nor Heartland attended the bid opening. COS at ¶ 8. The agency made award to Heartland on July 28, for $18,452,800, and published the notice of award to the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) website, the governmentwide point of entry, on the same day. Id. at ¶ 11. This protest followed. DISCUSSION Trans-Care primarily asserts that the agency made an improper affirmative responsibility determination for Heartland.