[Protest of Army Medical Center Rejection of Late Proposal]

A firm protested the Army's rejection of its late proposal for drug abuse testing, contending that the Postal Service failed to timely deliver the proposal. GAO held that the standard solicitation clause permitted consideration of late proposals sent by certified or registered mail at least 5 days prior to the closing date for receipt of proposals, or delayed solely due to government mishandling after receipt at the government installation. GAO found that, since express mail is not the equivalent of registered or certified mail, the fact that the Postal Service guaranteed overnight delivery did not relieve the protester of its obligation to ensure timely delivery of its bid. Accordingly the protest was dismissed.