Protest Against Rejection of Bid as Nonresponsive

A company protested the rejection of its bid as nonresponsive for failure to meet equipment size limitations and system reliability requirements. An allegation that the "System Reliability" clause was defective was untimely since it was made 7 weeks after bid opening. The bid was properly rejected as nonresponsive since the equipment offered exceeded permissible size, and information supplied by the protester in response to the "System Reliability" clause was vague. A requirement that the bidder supply proof that similar systems have been in successful operation for 1 year was not unduly restrictive. Allegations concerning the meaning of the "System Reliability" clause and the technical acceptability of the protester's proposal under negotiated resolicitation were not considered since these issues may be resolved during negotiations.