[Protest of Terms and Conditions of Army Solicitation for Telecommunications System Units]

A firm protested an Army solicitation for a communications system, contending that: (1) the specifications were inadequate, providing no more than a general overview of the required system; and (2) the solicitation effectively excluded offerers other than the brand-name manufacturer and resulted in an improper sole-source procurement. GAO found that: (1) the solicitation did not sufficiently describe the salient characteristics of the required product; (2) the Army failed to plan to obtain full and open competition; and (3) the Army failed to afford potential offerers an opportunity to obtain certification either before or during the procurement. Accordingly, the protest was sustained. GAO recommended that the Army: (1) cancel the solicitation and encourage additional competition by providing prospective offerers with an opportunity to undergo testing; (2) purchase only those brand-name systems for which it could demonstrate an urgent and compelling need; and (3) reimburse the protester for its protest preparation costs.