Green Expert Technology, Inc. (N64498-25-R-3014)

B-424017 Feb 19, 2026 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Green Expert Technology, Inc., of Haddonfield, New Jersey, protests the issuance of a task order to Noblis MSD, LLC, of Hampton, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. N64498-25-R-3014, issued by the Department of the Navy for engineering and hardware support services for the Destroyers (DDG 51) Ship Class Machinery Control Systems for ship new construction configurations. The protester argues that the agency's evaluation of the protester's proposal under the technical and past performance factors, and the best-value determination, were unreasonable. We deny the protest in part and dismiss it in part. 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: Green Expert Technology, Inc. File: B-424017 Date: February 19, 2026 Lee Dougherty, Esq., Esna Mihail, Esq., and Bryan Short, Esq., Effectus, PLLC, for the protester. Tina D. Reynolds, Esq., and Kang II T. Lee, Esq., Morrison & Foerster LLP, for Noblis MSD, LLC, the intervenor. Paul Scheck, Esq., and William Hinchman, Esq., Department of the Navy, for the agency. Mary G. Curcio, Esq., and John Sorrenti, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest challenging evaluation under the technical and past performance factors is dismissed where protester does not demonstrate alleged technical evaluation error resulted in competitive prejudice and protester abandoned challenge to past performance evaluation. 2. Protest challenging assigned adjectival ratings under technical and past performance factors is dismissed where protester cannot demonstrate competitive prejudice because award decision was based on a comparison of the merits of proposals, and not on assigned ratings. 3. Protest challenging best-value tradeoff determination is denied where source selection official considered underlying merits of proposals and determined that awardee's proposal was superior and worth additional price premium. DECISION Green Expert Technology, Inc., of Haddonfield, New Jersey, protests the issuance of a task order to Noblis MSD, LLC, of Hampton, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. N64498-25-R-3014, issued by the Department of the Navy for engineering and hardware support services for the Destroyers (DDG 51) Ship Class Machinery Control Systems for ship new construction configurations. The protester argues that the agency's evaluation of the protester's proposal under the technical and past performance factors, and the best-value determination, were unreasonable. We deny the protest in part and dismiss it in part. The agency issued the RFP on June 12, 2025, to holders of the Navy's Seaport Next-Generation multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. The procurement was conducted pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 16.505 procedures. The RFP contemplated the issuance of a cost-plus-award-fee, level-of-effort task order for a 1-year base period and four 1-year option periods. Agency Report (AR), Attach. 2, RFP at 6-7. The solicitation provided for award on a best-value tradeoff basis considering the following factors: technical, past performance, and cost.[1] Id. at 186-189. The technical factor was evaluated based on consideration of the following three elements which were not separately rated: technical approach, management approach, and personnel approach. Id. at 187. Cost was evaluated for reasonableness and realism. Id. at 190-191. The technical factor was more important than past performance. The technical and past performance factors combined were significantly more important than cost. Id. at 1872-188. Green Expert and Noblis submitted proposals in response to the solicitation which were evaluated as follows: Offeror Technical Past Performance Proposed Cost Evaluated Cost Green Expert Good Satisfactory Confidence $76,198,996 $77,895,968 Noblis Outstanding Substantial Confidence $79,431,035 $80,851,789 AR, Attach.7, Source Selection Decision Document (SSDD) at 4. The agency conducted a best-value technical-cost tradeoff and selected Noblis for award. Id. at 9-10. This protest followed.[2] DISCUSSION Green Expert protests that the agency unreasonably evaluated its proposal under the technical and past performance factors. Green Expert asserts that the agency used an unstated evaluation criterion in evaluating its technical proposal. The protester also contends that a reasonable evaluation would have resulted in it being assigned ratings of outstanding for its technical proposal and substantial confidence for its past performance.