[Protest of Navy Rejection of Bid as Nonresponsive]

A firm protested the rejection of its bid as nonresponsive under a Naval invitation for bids (IFB) for water chillers. The firm also protested the subsequent cancellation of the IFB and resolicitation and claimed lost profit and bid preparation costs. A responsive bid must represent an unequivocal offer to perform the exact thing called for in the solicitation, and a bid must be rejected if the offered product does not comply with the specifications. GAO found that, since the protester's bid failed to meet the solicitation specifications, it was properly rejected. GAO also determined that the Navy acted properly when it canceled both the original solicitation and a second, revised solicitation because it received no responsive bids. Further, GAO rejected the protester's claim for bid preparation costs because of its findings and stated that there was no legal basis for an unsuccessful bidder to recover anticipated profit. Accordingly, the protest and claim were denied.