[Protest of Air Force Contract Award for Painting and Caulking of a Building]

A firm protested an Air Force contract award, contending that it was unreasonably eliminated from the competition and claimed reimbursement for its bid preparation costs. The Air Force determined that the protester was nonresponsible because it had filed for reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code and did not issue a Certificate of Competency since the value of the contract was less than $10,000. The protester: (1) believed that the contract had not been awarded; (2) was aware of the quote acceptance period but did not inquire about the procurement status or award notification; and (3) untimely filed its protest after the 10 working day limit. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed as untimely, and the claim for bid preparation costs was denied.