[Protest of Air Force Contract Award for Laboratory Operation]

A firm protested an Air Force contract award for laboratory operation, contending that the: (1) Air Force should have found the awardee's alternate low bid nonresponsive, since it did not meet the solicitation's staffing specifications; (2) awardee had a competitive advantage, since it was the incumbent contractor; and (3) solicitation's staffing specifications were misleading. GAO held that the: (1) Air Force properly accepted the awardee's low bid; (2) Air Force reasonably determined that the awardee's alternate bid met its minimum needs; (3) awardee's incumbency did not preclude the protester from submitting a responsive bid; and (4) solicitation did not prohibit bidders from submitting alternate bids that met the Air Force's minimum needs. Accordingly, the protest was denied.