PROTEST ALLEGATIONS THAT NEGOTIATION WAS NOT THD PROPER MEANS FOR ACQUIRING AGENCY'S NEEDS AND THAT PROCUREMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY SET ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS ARE UNTIMELY UNDER GAO BID PROTEST PROCEDURES (4 C.F.R. 20.2(B)(1)). BECAUSE ALLEGED DEFECTS WERE APPARENT FROM RFP BUT WERE NOT RAISED UNTIL AFTER DATE SET FOR RECEIPT OF INITIAL PROPOSALS. 2. ARGUMENT THAT "PRICE" AND "CO...

The protester alleged that its technical and price proposals were improperly evaluated and asserted that negotiation was not the proper means for acquiring the agency's needs, and that the procurement should have been at least partially set aside for small businesses. The allegations regarding the procurement methods were untimely since they were not raised before the date for receipt of initial p...