Rejection of Applicant for Grant Award

A firm requested reconsideration of a decision in which GAO refused to consider the objections of an unsuccessful grant applicant. In its initial complaint, the protester alleged that the agency failed to follow the procedures for awarding grants as published in the Federal Register and contended that, although it submitted its proposal for national consideration, the agency improperly treated it as a regional proposal. Thus, the protester requested GAO to stay the award procedure until its proposal could be evaluated as a national proposal. GAO refused to consider the protest because it does not generally consider complaints concerning the award of grants or other Federal financial assistance. The protester argued that it was not questioning the propriety of the grant award, but the failure of the agency to follow prescribed Federal Register procedures. GAO believed that its prior decision was correct. It does not, as a matter of policy, routinely conduct investigations at the request of private parties. Regardless of how the protester characterized the complaint, GAO did not feel that the protest fell within its responsibility. The protester also took exception to the fact that GAO did not notify the agency of its complaint and would not discuss certain aspects of the complaint. GAO did not notify the agency of the complaint because it was not a matter for GAO review, and GAO employees do not discuss substantive issues related to pending cases. Since the protester did not establish that the prior decision was based on an erroneous interpretation of fact or law, the prior decision was affirmed.