Protest Against Award of a Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee Contract

A company protested the award of a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. Documents in the four-step procurement established the goal of maximum use of tried and true computer equipment but did not rule out modified equipment based on preexisting technology or new equipment. The view that the procurement a required high order programming language was rejected. The Air Force complied with the competitive requirements of the Federal regulation, and the agency's evaluation of cost and technical differences between the proposals of the protester and the selected offeror was rational.