Protest Alleging Use of Improper Procedure for Award of Contract

The protester objected to the award of a contract, alleging that the agency used an improper procedure for awarding the contract and that the contract was a nullity because the successful bidder had been dissolved as a corporation prior to award. A certificate from the State of incorporation verified that the low bidder was a corporation in good standing, rendering the allegation to the contrary without merit. The awardee was properly selected as the "low bidder for purposes of award" since its bid was the only one within the amount of the funds available for the procurement at the time of the award. Following the selection of the awardee, it was proper to request additional funding for the combination of additional items for which its bid was still low. Protests concerning the solicitation specifications and the allegation concerning unbalanced bids were untimely and not for consideration since they were filed considerably after bid opening.