[Protest of ATF Contract Award for Support Services]

A firm protested a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) contract award for technical support services, contending that ATF: (1) misled it during discussions; (2) unfairly conducted technical discussions with the awardee; (3) unreasonably evaluated its proposal; and (4) did not consider the merits of its technical proposal. GAO held that ATF: (1) conducted meaningful discussions with the protester and the awardee; (2) reasonably evaluated the protester's bid in accordance with the solicitation's evaluation criteria; and (3) reasonably determined that the awardee's proposal offered the best value to the government. Accordingly, the protest was denied.