Request for Waiver of Reconsideration Requirement

A firm requested that GAO waive its requirement that reconsideration requests be filed not later than 10 working days after the basis for reconsideration is or should have been known. In a prior decision, GAO dismissed the firm's untimely reconsideration request, noting that the firm was essentially raising the same arguments presented and considered in an earlier decision. The firm's waiver request was based on several reasons: (1) the complexity of the protest; (2) conflicts in time limits between this protest and the other protests requiring the effort of the firm's president on the other protests; and (3) the unavailability of the firm's president/treasurer who was on vacation during the time of the earlier decision. Protests against the award of a Government contract are very serious matters which deserve the immediate and timely attention of the protester, interested parties, and the contracting agency. Bid protest procedures establish an orderly process to insure equitable and prompt resolution of protests. Therefore, timeliness standards for the filing of protests and requests for reconsideration must be and are strictly construed by GAO. GAO would not waive the requirements for filing a timely reconsideration request and the firm's request was dimissed.