[Protest Against USIA Rejection of Bid for Photographic Laboratory Services]

A firm protested the United States Information Agency's (USIA) rejection of its technical proposal under a two-step procurement for photographic laboratory services, contending that: (1) the methods and criteria USIA used to evaluate bid samples were inaccurate; (2) the evaluation personnel were unqualified; (3) the testing equipment and materials were inadequate; (4) USIA should have allowed it to resubmit its bid samples; and (5) USIA failed to obtain full and open competition. GAO held that: (1) the protester untimely filed after bid opening the portion of the protest regarding the evaluation panel's qualifications and standards; (2) the protester untimely filed its contention concerning resubmission of its samples more than 10 working days after it became aware of the basis for protest; and (3) USIA obtained full and open competition. GAO would not consider the protester's allegations concerning the test equipment, since the solicitation did not specify that USIA would use that equipment. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed in part and denied in part.