Protest Against Rejection of Bid as Nonresponsive

A company protested rejection of its bid and award of a contract by a grantee under a capital grant contract. Rejection of the bid as nonresponsive was proper since: arrangements for servicing vehicles and a vehicle lift produced by a supplier were contrary to specifications; the bid contained conditions of delivery which modified solicitation requirements; and proposed covering for the sub-floor of vehicles with material of lesser quality than required rendered the bid nonresponsive in spite of post-bid opening assurances that requirements would be met. The bid was not rendered nonresponsive by offering the grantee an option of purchasing vehicles with an alternator of less amperage than required by the solicitation since the specified alternator was alternately proposed. The award was not questioned on the basis of unsupported suspicions that a handwritten insertion on the successful bid was added after bid opening.