Protest Involving Improper Proposal Evaluation Methods

A company protested rejection of its proposal and the proposed award of the contract to another firm, contending that: it was a proven, qualified source for the service; it submitted an offer with additional hours requested by the agency; and a determination, subsequent to site visits, of technical unacceptability was unreasonable. Rejection of the protester's revised proposal was improper since the agency failed to advise the protester of its concern over proposed wage rates prior to submission of the revised proposal. An offerer should not be excluded from the competitive range on the basis of a predetermined passing grade. The protest was sustained.