[Protest of Navy Contract Award for Tree Trimming Services]

A firm protested a Navy contract award for tree trimming services, contending that, since the awardee was not licensed to perform the required work, its bid was nonresponsive because the solicitation specifications required licensing. GAO has held that, where the solicitation contains only a general licensing requirement, the contracting officer is free to make award without regard to whether the bidder is licensed under local law. GAO found that, since the licensing provision did not require a specific license, the awardee's lack of a license at the time of contract award did not provide a legal basis to object to the award. Accordingly, the protest was denied.