[Protest of Proposed Army Corps of Engineers Contract Award for Minor Ship Overhaul]

A firm protested a proposed Army Corps of Engineers contract award, contending that it was displaced as the low bidder when the agency improperly allowed another bidder to correct its bid. After bid opening, the contracting officer verified a bid error with the other bidder and determined that the firm should be permitted to correct its bid since the mistake and the intended bid were ascertainable from the face of the bid. The protester contended that: (1) the mistake was not clear from the firm's bid; (2) regulations do not permit bid correction since the intended price could not be determined from the bid submitted; and (3) the other firm's bid was nonresponsive because it included a price for an item that had been deleted. Procuring agencies have the authority to determine when correction of a mistaken bid is appropriate, and GAO will not question an agency's decision unless the determination is without a reasonable basis. In this case, GAO found no reason to question the agency determination and found no merit to the protester's contention that because it included a price for an item that was deleted the other firm's bid was nonresponsive. Accordingly, the protest was denied.