Skip to main content

[Protest of Interior Contract Award]

B-209827 Published: Jul 21, 1983. Publicly Released: Jul 21, 1983.
Jump To:
Skip to Highlights

Highlights

A firm protested a contract award by the Department of the Interior under a solicitation for a firm, fixed-price contract to examine an area's surface and profile to identify cultural resource sites. The protester primarily questioned the technical evaluation of the awardee's proposal. GAO stated that the determination of the relative merits of proposals is the responsibility of the procuring agency and that it is not the function of GAO to evaluate proposals to determine which offerer should have been selected for award. GAO has held that the procuring officials have discretion in the evaluation of proposals and that such determinations will not be disturbed unless shown to be arbitrary or in violation of statutes and regulations. Based on its review of the evaluation committee's procedures, GAO could not say that the evaluation or the award was arbitrary, improper, or in violation of statutes or regulations. The protester also objected to the committee's determination that both firms' technical proposals were essentially equal. GAO stated that it is the agency's judgment as to the significance of differences between proposals. Finally, the protester contended that Interior's cost estimate contained inaccuracies. GAO stated that a cost analysis was not required since the price negotiation was based on adequate price competition and, further, that the award was not based solely on Interior's estimates. Accordingly, the protest was denied.

Full Report

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Bid evaluation protestsContract award protestsContract costsFixed price contractsResearch and development contractsTechnical proposal evaluation