[Protest of VA Rejection of Bid for Chemistry System]

A firm protested the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) rejection of its bid and subsequent contract award for a chemical system, contending that VA: (1) was required to award it the contract, since its product was listed on the Federal Supply Schedule; and (2) improperly awarded the contract to the awardee, since its product was not available under the schedule. GAO held that: (1) VA reasonably rejected the protester's equal product since it did not comply with salient characteristics that the solicitation specified; and (2) the protester was not prejudiced by the agency's decision to obtain a waiver to purchase a nonschedule brand-name product which satisfied the agency's minimum needs, because the protester's offered product did not comply with the salient characteristics. Accordingly, the protest was denied.