[Request for Reconsideration of Dismissal of Protest as Untimely]

A firm requested reconsideration of the dismissal of its protest of a proposed Bureau of Prisons contract award, contending that: (1) the Bureau improperly considered its letter as a protest; and (2) GAO should have considered its protest under the significant issue exception to protest timeliness rules. GAO held that: (1) the Bureau properly determined that the letter was a protest; and (2) it would not consider the protest under the significant issue exception, since the protester failed to show that there were uncontrollable circumstances leading to the untimely protest, and the matter was not of widespread importance. Accordingly, the dismissal was affirmed.