B-154648, OCT. 22, 1964

B-154648, OCT. 22, 1964

TO MR. MARSHALL LOGAN:

THIS REFERS TO YOUR TELEGRAM OF JULY 6, 1964, PROTESTING THE AWARD FOR CLOTHING ALTERATIONS FOR HENDERSON HALL AND 8TH AND EYE STREET, S.W. UNDER INVITATION FOR BIDS NO. 17-65, ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS ON JUNE 4, 1964.

THE INVITATION CALLED FOR ALTERATION SERVICES TO ENLISTED MEN'S UNIFORM CLOTHING, FOR THE PERIOD JULY 1, 1964 THROUGH JUNE 30, 1965. BIDDERS WERE INSTRUCTED (APPENDIX "B") THAT THE QUANTITIES STATED FOR EACH ITEM DESCRIPTION WERE ESTIMATES TO BE USED FOR EVALUATION PURPOSES ONLY. ESTIMATED QUANTITIES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT STATED FOR SOME OF THE ITEMS.

BIDS WERE OPENED ON JUNE 26, 1964, AND THE TWO LOW BIDS FOR HENDERSON HALL AND 8TH AND EYE STREET, S.W. WERE TABULATED AS FOLLOWS:

CHART

"TOTALS FOR ITEMS WITH QUANTITIES SPECIFIED

MARSHALL LOGAN SE UNIFORM

HENDERSON HALL $1845.25 $1854.80

8TH AND EYE 5662.00 (NO BID ON ITEMS 5126.25

101 THRU 105 AND 117)

"TOTALS FOR ITEMS WITHOUT QUANTITIES SPECIFIED (UNIT PRICES)

HENDERSON HALL 20.00 6.85

8TH AND EYE 1.45 (NO BID ON ITEM 104) 1.95

"AGGREGATE TOTALS OF HENDERSON HALL AND 8TH AND EYE

$7528.70 $6989.85"

(SOUTHEAST UNIFORM BID "N/C" ON ITEMS 101 THROUGH 105, BUT BID $0.25 ON ITEM 117, COVERING AN ESTIMATED QUANTITY OF 543 PIECES.)

YOU CONTEND THAT YOUR BID WAS ACTUALLY MORE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE GOVERNMENT THAN THE SOUTHEAST UNIFORM BID. YOU CITE ITEM NO. 27 (HEM IN MAN'S TROUSERS), WHERE YOU BID $0.75 PER PIECE AND SOUTHEAST UNIFORM BID $0.95, ON AN ESTIMATED 608 PIECES, AS ONE CASE WHERE THE STATED ESTIMATE WAS UNREALISTICALLY LOW FOR THE ITEM. AS FOR YOUR "NO BID" ITEMS, YOU SAY THAT THESE ITEMS (CALLING FOR ALTERATIONS TO MAN'S GREEN JACKET AND OVERCOAT AND AN ITEM OF ALTERATIONS TO TROUSERS) ARE OBSOLETE AND NO LONGER IN USE.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE ADVISES US THAT WHILE ITEMS 101 THROUGH 105 COVER PIECES THAT WILL NOT BE ISSUED IN THE FUTURE, THE CURRENT SUPPLY OF THESE ITEMS ARE IN USE AND SOME ALTERATIONS MAY BE NECESSARY, AND THAT ITEM 117 COVERS WORK ON AN ITEM WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED.

IT MAY BE THAT THE STATED ESTIMATES WILL NOT PROVE TO BE ACCURATE. ANY EVENT, THE TERMS OF THE COMPETITION WERE CLEARLY STATED IN THE INVITATION, AND IT DOES NOT APPEAR FROM THE RECORD THAT ANY ONE BIDDER WAS FAVORED IN THE COMPETITION. SINCE SOUTHEAST WAS THE LOW BIDDER, WE SEE NO LEGAL BASIS TO QUESTION THE AWARD. ACCORDINGLY, YOUR PROTEST IS DENIED.