[Protests of BOP Contract Award for Residential Community Correctional Services]

A firm protested a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) contract award for residential community correctional services, contending that BOP: (1) improperly evaluated and downgraded its bid; and (2) failed to conduct meaningful discussions regarding its bid deficiencies. The firm also requested reconsideration of a supplemental protest under the significant issue exception. GAO held that: (1) BOP properly downgraded the protester's bid, since it failed to explain how it would meet the solicitation's requirements; (2) BOP conducted meaningful discussions, since it advised the protester of bid deficiencies and afforded the protester an opportunity to correct them; (3) the protester untimely filed its protest of alleged information disclosure improprieties; (4) the protester would not be in line for award even if its bid had been rated higher as a result of the discussions; and (5) the protester failed to provide sufficient information that would warrant reconsideration of its supplemental protest under the significant-issue exception. Accordingly, the protests and request for reconsideration were denied.