[Protest of VA Cancellation of Solicitation for Medical Center Renovation]

Two firms protested the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) cancellation of a solicitation for medical center renovations, contending that VA improperly cancelled the solicitation after bid opening based on allegedly ambiguous pricing requirements. GAO noted that: (1) VA improperly cancelled the solicitation after bid opening, since the solicitation, when read as a whole, was susceptible to only one interpretation; (2) the first protester's bid did not reflect its intended bid price, since it misinterpreted the solicitation's requirement for separate and distinct pricing categories; and (3) the second protester properly structured its bid price in accordance with the solicitation requirements. Accordingly, the first protester's protest was denied and the second protester's protest was sustained, and GAO recommended that VA: (1) reinstate the solicitation and make award made to the second protester, if otherwise appropriate; and (2) reimburse the second protester for its protest costs.