Protest Involving Proposal Evaluation

A protester of a contract award contended that: the awardee's proposal did not meet solicitation specifications, the proposal evaluation was improper, the agency failed to consider deficiencies in equipment furnished by the awardee on a prior contract, and solicitation amendments resulted in increased proposal preparation costs which it should be paid. The fact that only the awardee offered a mechanically rotated antenna was not a basis for solicitation modification since specifications allowed for such an antenna. The agency's determination of the proposal's technical acceptability was not arbitrary or unreasonable, and prior contract performance is a matter of bidder responsibility which is not generally for GAO review. The protester was not entitled to payment of proposal preparation costs because negotiations during a period in which amendments were issued were properly carried out to obtain competition.