[Protest of Marine Corps Contract Award for Shelters]

A firm protested a contract award to another firm under a Marine Corps solicitation for shelters, contending that: (1) the Corps was required to evaluate bids on a aggregate basis rather than on a lot or item basis; and (2) the awardee's bid was mathematically unbalanced. GAO held that: (1) despite certain potentially misleading specifications, the solicitation specifications clearly indicated that the Corps was to make award on a lot or item basis; and (2) while the awardee's bid may have been mathematically unbalanced, the protester had not demonstrated that the bid was materially unbalanced or would not have resulted in the lowest cost to the government. Accordingly, the protest was denied.