[Protest of Prospective GSA Contract Award]

A firm protested the General Services Administration's (GSA) prospective award of a Federal Supply Schedule contract, contending that the proposed awardee's bid should be rejected because it failed to: (1) include copies of its spare parts price list; (2) discount spare parts prices; (3) include evidence that its equipment conformed to fire and casualty hazard standards; and (4) supply identification numbers. GSA permitted the proposed awardee to submit a spare parts price list after bid opening because it determined that the omission of the list constituted a minor irregularity. GAO found that, since the solicitation did not require bidders to commit themselves to provide spare parts at an established price, the failure to supply copies of the spare parts list could be waived as a minor informality since it was not a material deviation which required bid rejection. In addition, GAO found that the proposed awardee's failure to bid a spare parts price discount was not a material deviation. Furthermore, the solicitation permitted bidders to submit evidence that equipment conformed to fire and casualty hazard standards and identification numbers after bid opening. Accordingly, the protest was denied.