Protests Questioning Small Business Size of Awardee

Two companies alleged that the contract awardee was not a small business and questioned its affiliation with another firm. The determination of size status is exclusively vested in the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is not subject to GAO review. There is no requirement that an award must be withheld pending a size determination by SBA. A company's failure to possess state and local operating licenses is not a bar to receiving a federal award because that is a matter for resolution between the contractor and local authorities.