[Protest of Navy Contract Award for Marine Engineering Design Services]

A firm protested a Navy contract award for marine engineering design services, contending that the Navy: (1) failed to follow the stated evaluation criteria; and (2) lacked sufficient reason to request additional rounds of best and final offers. GAO held that the: (1) Navy had reasonably requested additional best and final offers, since a solicitation amendment changed the contract terms; (2) Navy properly awarded the contract to the low technically inferior offerer, since there was no significant technical difference between the awardee's proposal and the protester's; and (3) protester was not sufficiently interested to protest the Navy's request for additional rounds of best and final offers, since it would not be in line for award, even if its protest were sustained. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed in part and denied in part.