[Complaint of Allegedly Improper Procurements]

An association complained about a State of Florida solicitation and a State of Montana National Guard solicitation, arguing that both solicitations for the construction of National Guard armories were improper. The complainant maintained that both solicitations required the involvement of a registered engineer, which indicated that engineering services were being sought. Therefore, the complainant argued that architecture-engineering firms should have been selected on the basis of their qualifications rather than on price. GAO noted that the complaints could not be considered as protests because Federal procurements were not involved. However, since the Montana National Guard is considered to be a Federal grantee, the complaint was eligible for review. GAO held that the procurement conformed to all pertinent State laws and that these laws governed the procurement activity. Accordingly, the complaint against Florida was dismissed and the complaint against Montana was denied.