Protest Against Rejection of Proposal as Unacceptable and Not within the Competitive Range

The protester objected to the rejection of its proposal as unacceptable and not within the competitive range after discussions were held and it was asserted that the discussions were not meaningful. The rejection of the proposal, initially found to be in the competitive range, on the basis that it was technically unacceptable, was not objectionable since the agency gave the protester the opportunity to correct major weak areas, and the agency's technical judgment was not clearly shown to lack a reasonable basis. The record did not support the contention that meaningful negotiations were not conducted with the protester. The failure of the agency to furnish comments within the period prescribed by GAO Bid Protest Procedures provided no basis for disregarding the substantive information contained in them.