Protest Concerning Department of Commerce Award of a Requirements Contract for Auditing Services

Leon Whitney, a Certified Public Accountant, protested the award by the U.S. Department of Commerce of a requirements contract for auditing services to Banks, Finley, White and Company. As part of the awarding procedure points were to be awarded for various factors, pertinent ones being ten points for the subcontracting of work to other minority firms and five points to firms that submitted plans to reduce long-distance travel costs. GAO agrees with the department's reservation as to the propriety of such preference for minority primes in competitive procurement, and with the protester in that it would appear incongruous to penalize a firm whose location eliminates the need for long distance travel. However, since other award factors would still confirm Banks as the contract winner, the protest is denied.