T3i, Inc. (FA489025R0023)

B-423815 Dec 30, 2025 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights T3i, Inc., a small business of San Antonio, Texas, protests the issuance of a task order to LMR Technical Group, LLC, of Dallas, Texas, under task order proposal request (TOPR) No. FA489025R0023, issued by the Department of the Air Force, Air Combat Command, for non-personal support services. T3i alleges that the agency conducted an unreasonable price realism evaluation and improperly excluded T3i from the competition. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. The entire decision has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: T3i, Inc. File: B-423815 Date: December 30, 2025 Kristin E. Zachman, Esq., and Johnathan M. Bailey, Esq., Cokinos Young, for the protester. William A. Shook, Esq., The Law Offices of William A. Shook PLLC, for LMR Technical Group, LLC, the intervenor. Sanique J. Balan, Esq., Colonel Justin Silverman, Beatrice K. Foster, Esq., David J. Dusseau, Esq, and Susan E. Bond, Esq., Department of the Air Force, for the agency. Thomas J. Warren, Esq., and Alexander O. Levine, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest that agency unreasonably rejected protester's proposal based on unrealistic pricing is denied where the record shows that the agency's price realism analysis was reasonable and consistent with the solicitation. DECISION T3i, Inc., a small business of San Antonio, Texas, protests the issuance of a task order to LMR Technical Group, LLC, of Dallas, Texas, under task order proposal request (TOPR) No. FA489025R0023, issued by the Department of the Air Force, Air Combat Command, for non-personal support services. T3i alleges that the agency conducted an unreasonable price realism evaluation and improperly excluded T3i from the competition. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND On May 13, 2025, the agency issued the TOPR in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 16.505 to firms holding the Air Force's Human Performance Optimization (HPO) multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. Agency Report (AR), Tab 4, TOPR at 1.[1] The solicitation was issued to support the Air Force's comprehensive readiness for aircrew flying training (CRAFT) program, which is intended to maintain and advance the unique cognitive, emotional, and physical performance needs of modern Air Force aircrews. AR, Tab 5, Performance Work Statement (PWS) at 4. In this regard, the TOPR seeks to acquire non-personal support services tailored to the needs of student aircrews and instructor pilots to “support curriculum refinement, technology integration, facility improvements, and outcome tracking” for the CRAFT program across the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) flying training enterprise. Id. at 4-5. Under the terms of the task order, the selected contractor must fill 129 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at 13 different AETC headquarters locations. Id. at 47-49; Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at 2. The solicitation contemplated the issuance of a fixed-price, level-of-effort task order with fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contract line item numbers. TOPR at 1. The task order would be performed over a 1-year base period, four 1-year option periods, and one 6-month extension period. Id. The task order would be issued on a lowest-price, technically acceptable basis to the offeror whose total evaluated price (TEP) was determined to be fair, reasonable and balanced, and “whose prices are realistic for the work to be performed and reflect a clear understanding of the contract requirement.” Id. at 2‑3. The TOPR instructed offerors to include specific information in their proposals. Id. at 3‑5. Relevant here, the solicitation attached a spreadsheet document that identified each of the 129 FTEs by position title, location and the respective PWS task that each position would support. Id.; AR, Tab 6, TOPR attach. 3 at 10-21. Offerors were instructed to include, in this spreadsheet, “pricing for all work required to execute all PWS requirements.” TOPR at 4. Specifically, offerors were to include a “complete breakdown of all direct and indirect costs factored into the total pricing for each FTE in their designated location,” including “hourly labor rates (unburdened) and hourly labor rates (burdened).” Id. Offerors were also instructed to include all pricing for the base year and all option periods under each contract line item number. Id. at 4-5. Finally, offerors were instructed to “[p]rovide a narrative with all supporting documentation for the proposed prices and rates, including any assumptions made, to show how the pricing was developed.” Id. at 4. The agency's evaluation of task order proposals would follow a sequential process. Id. at 2.