[Protest of Navy Contract Award for Steerable Emitter Threat Simulators]

A firm protested a Navy contract award for threat simulators, contending that the Navy failed to: (1) allot sufficient time to evaluate the proposals and committed other procedural errors; (2) evaluate proposals in accord with the solicitation criteria; and (3) conduct meaningful discussions concerning deficiencies in its proposal. GAO held that: (1) the portion of the protest alleging improper evaluation procedures was without merit, since the Navy used regular evaluation procedures and none of the issues the protester raised related to its competitive standing or to the protested award's validity; (2) the Navy failed to conduct meaningful discussions and to fully evaluate the proposals in accord with the solicitation requirements; and (3) the protester was entitled to recover its bid and protest preparation costs, since no corrective action was possible. Accordingly, the protest was sustained.