Protest Alleging Specification Changes Were Beyond Scope of Contract

A firm protested the award of contracts by the Government Printing Office (GPO) for the printing, folding, and packing of the 1980 Decennial Census - FOSDIC Short Form. The solicitation reserved to GPO the right to make award for one, all, or combinations of the 18 lots the work was broken into, whichever was deemed to be in the best interests of the government. The firm protested essentially on the basis that the changes in the paper specifications made after award were cardinal changes and the contract should be terminated for the convenience of the government, and that a new procurement reflecting these changes should be initiated. Based on the record, GAO held that the reason the original paper specified was unavailable at the time of award was that it is a specialty product, produced only by a few sources. The fact that there were at least nine potential sources of supply for the revised paper specification demonstrated that the field of competition was materially changed due to the modification. Consequently, the agency should have canceled the original procurement and resolicited for the revised paper. The protest was sustained. Due to the status of the procurement, no corrective action was recommended.