[Protest of Justice Rejection of Best and Final Proposal]

A service organization protested the Department of Justice's rejection of its best and final offer for halfway house services. GAO held that the proposal was properly rejected for late receipt because, although it was sent by regular mail 3 days prior to the due date, it was not received until 10 days later. Further, since the proposal was not sent by certified or registered mail 5 days prior to the due date and its lateness was not due to Government mishandling at the installation, it did not meet the criteria for acceptance of late proposals. Accordingly, the protest was summarily denied.