[Protest of Army Corps of Engineers Rejection of Bid for Preparation of Appraisal Reports]

A firm protested the rejection of its bid under an Army solicitation for appraisal report preparation. The Army found the protester's bid to be technically unacceptable for failure to propose a single daily rate. The protester contended that a single rate was not required and that its proposal complied with the solicitation's pricing requirements. GAO found that the solicitation was deficient because it: (1) required offerers to propose a single daily rate but was ambiguous as to the meaning of a total daily rate; (2) did not estimate the time necessary for the work or otherwise relate the daily rate to the price of work orders to be negotiated for each appraisal report; (3) did not allow bidders to compete on an equal basis; and (4) did not permit an accurate assessment of probable costs to the government. GAO held that the Army should reevaluate the protester's proposal to determine whether it should be included in the competitive range and, if warranted, terminate the contract. Accordingly, the protest was sustained.