[Protest of VA Contract Award for Flags]

A firm protested a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contract award for flags, contending that VA should have deemed the awardee's proposal as nonresponsive because it took exception to the solicitation's delivery schedule. GAO held that VA improperly awarded the contract to the awardee, since its bid took exception to the delivery schedule required by the solicitation. Accordingly, the protest was sustained, and GAO recommended that VA: (1) reevaluate the quantity and delivery requirements of its solicitation to determine whether the requirements reflect its actual needs; (2) terminate the awardee's contract and make award to the protester if it is determined that the solicitation's requirements meet its needs; (3) terminate the awardee's contract and issue a revised solicitation if it is determined that the solicitation's requirements do not meet its needs; and (4) reimburse the protester for its protest costs.