Propel Solutions, LLC (1305M225Q0084)

B-424189,B-424189.2 Mar 25, 2026 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Propel Solutions, LLC, a woman-owned small business (WOSB) joint venture of Rockville, Maryland, protests the disclosure of a member of the joint venture's incumbent pricing information as part of request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1305M225Q0084, which was issued by the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for technical support services for the Office for Coastal Management. Propel argues that the agency's investigation into the release of the incumbent pricing information was unreasonable, and the agency failed to adequately address the risk of competitive harm. 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 redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Propel Solutions, LLC File: B-424189; B-424189.2 Date: March 25, 2026 David S. Black, Esq., Gregory R. Hallmark, Esq., John M. McAdams III, Esq., and Ben R. Smith, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, for the protester. Jeremiah Kline, Esq., and Andrew Frank, Esq., Department of Commerce, for the agency. Michelle Litteken, Esq., and April Y. Shields, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest by a joint venture alleging the agency insufficiently mitigated the competitive harm flowing from the release of a member of the joint venture's incumbent pricing information is denied where the agency reasonably determined the protester's competitors did not access the pricing information. DECISION Propel Solutions, LLC, a woman-owned small business (WOSB) joint venture[1] of Rockville, Maryland, protests the disclosure of a member of the joint venture's incumbent pricing information as part of request for quotations (RFQ) No. 1305M225Q0084, which was issued by the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for technical support services for the Office for Coastal Management.[2] Propel argues that the agency's investigation into the release of the incumbent pricing information was unreasonable, and the agency failed to adequately address the risk of competitive harm. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND Lynker, a member of the protester joint venture, is the incumbent contractor for the agency's requirement. This protest involves the inadvertent disclosure of Lynker's pricing information in the RFQ. We first briefly discuss the procurement history for the predecessor task order and then turn to the instant procurement and the agency's investigation of the disclosure. In February 2019, the agency awarded 24 multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts, referred to as ProTech Oceans 1.0. Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at 1. Lynker was awarded one of the ProTech Oceans 1.0 IDIQ contracts.[3] Id. The ProTech Oceans 1.0 IDIQ contract included 11 service categories and 45 labor categories. Id. On July 9, 2021, NOAA issued task order No. 1305M221FNCNP0096 (referred to here as the “incumbent task order”) to Lynker under the ProTech Oceans 1.0 IDIQ contract to provide technical support services for the Office for Coastal Management. COS at 1; Agency Report (AR), Tab 14, Incumbent Task Order at 35.[4] The incumbent task order had a 10-month base period beginning on October 1, 2021, and four 1-year options. AR, Tab 14, Incumbent Task Order at 26-28. The incumbent task order contained rates for 18 labor categories, mapped to 58 positions, across nine geographic regions. COS at 1-2; AR, Tab 14.a, Incumbent Task Order Pricing Attachment. The incumbent task order was issued as a hybrid fixed-price and time-and-materials task order, and in 2024, the incumbent task order was modified to be a fixed-price task order. COS at 1-2. In April 2024, NOAA awarded the second generation of the ProTech Oceans IDIQ contract, referred to as ProTech Oceans 2.0, to 17 small business firms, and Propel was one of the awardees. COS at 2. The ProTech Oceans 2.0 IDIQ contract contains 26 service categories and 104 labor categories. Id. Subsequently, on November 13, 2025, pursuant to the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) parts 12 and 16, NOAA issued the RFQ as a set-aside to WOSB firms holding the ProTech Oceans 2.0 IDIQ contract, seeking technical support services for the Office for Coastal Management.[5] COS at 2-3; AR, Tab 1, RFQ at 1, 55. The RFQ contemplates the issuance of a fixed-price, level-of-effort task order with a 60‑day transition period and a 5-year period of performance, separated into quarterly options. RFQ at 13. The RFQ provides that the task order will be issued on a best-value tradeoff basis considering small business representation (evaluated on a pass/fail basis), technical approach, management approach, and price. RFQ at 51.