[Request for Reconsideration of Claim for Proposal Preparation Costs]

A firm requested reconsideration of a GAO decision which dismissed its claim for proposal preparation costs in connection with its participation in an Army procurement. The protest to GAO, which was based upon the Army's allegedly improper failure to negotiate with it, was dismissed as untimely. In its request for reconsideration, the protester contended that: (1) it did not know that it would not be permitted to negotiate with the Army until it received the official notice of the contract award; and (2) less than a week before the contract award, the Army had led it to believe that it was still considering negotiations with it. GAO held that, regardless of these assertions, the protest was untimely because it was not filed until more than 10 days after the initial adverse agency action. Accordingly, the prior decision was affirmed.