[Protest of VA Solicitation as Unduly Restrictive]

A firm protested a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) solicitation for x-ray equipment maintenance and repair, contending that VA should provide the prospective contractor with repair parts, since the supplier refused to provide parts to the protester. GAO held that VA reasonably believed that it would obtain adequate competition, since: (1) the protester's alleged inability to obtain parts was not the sole reason for its performance problems under a prior contract; and (2) there was no evidence that other prospective contractors would experience difficulty in obtaining the necessary repair parts. Accordingly, the protest was denied.