[Protest of GSA Bid Rejection and Subsequent Contract Award]

A firm protested the General Services Administration's (GSA) rejection of its bid and the award of a contract to another firm. GSA rejected the protester's bid because its bid guarantee was in the form of an uncertified personal check. The protester contended that GSA should have waived the bid guarantee requirement for it because it was a woman-owned small business. GAO held that: (1) GSA properly rejected the protester's bid as nonresponsive, since it failed to supply the required bid guarantee; and (2) the protester's status as a woman-owned small business was not a basis for waiver of the requirement. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed.