[Request for Reconsideration of Dismissal of Untimely Protest Against Navy Contract Award for Aircraft Operations and Maintenance]

A firm requested reconsideration of the dismissal of its untimely protest of a Navy contract award for aircraft operations and maintenance. GAO had dismissed the protest, since the protester untimely filed it more than 2 months after the award. In its request for reconsideration, the protester contended that, the Navy denied it an equal opportunity to compete by allowing the awardee to submit an alternate offer, which GAO should have considered a significant-issue exception under protest timeliness rules. GAO held that the protest concerned only the evaluation of a particular offerer's bid and was not a significant issue. Accordingly, the original decision was affirmed.