[Protest of HUD Rejection of Bid for Due Diligence Services]

A firm protested the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) rejection of its bid for due diligence services, contending that HUD improperly evaluated its proposal. GAO held that: (1) HUD properly evaluated the proposal in accordance with the evaluation factors announced in the solicitation and the record supported the protester's overall lower technical score; and (2) HUD properly excluded the protester's proposal from competitive range as not having a reasonable chance of being selected for award in view of HUD's receipt of significantly higher-rated, lower cost proposals. Accordingly, the protest was denied.