[Protest of Rejection of Bid by GSA]

A firm protested the General Services Administration's rejection of its bid due to its arrival after bid opening. The protester contended that the late arrival was due solely to the mishandling of mail by the Government. Because its original bid was lost by the Postal Service, the protester submitted a copy after bid opening. GAO held that a bidder cannot provide a copy of its bid after bid opening where the original bid was lost in the mail, because the late submission would be inconsistent with protecting the integrity of the competitive bidding system. Accordingly, the protest was denied.