Protest Concerning Bid Rejection as Nonresponsive

A bidder responded to the Army's Invitation for Bid (IFB) for a portable basketball floor. The IFB contained the standard "brand name or equal" clause under which the bidder must furnish the descriptive material necessary for the purchaser to determine whether the product would meet the necessary requirements. The IFB required that the playing surface should be "a heavy duty first grade hard maple flooring" and that screw-tite powernails or cutnails would not be permitted. The bidder proposed to use flooring material of "select grade or better maple" and stated that screw-type nails would be used for the flooring. The contracting officer declared the bid nonresponsive, and GAO concurred. The bidder did not state the grade of maple he planned to use or submit sufficient descriptive information with his bid for the purpose of evaluation. Since the bid revealed noncompliance with two of the stated requirements, it was rejected as nonresponsive.