Bidder's Failure To Request Certificate of Competency

The protester objected to the agency's failure to award it a contract because the protester was found to be financially nonresponsible. Although the matter was forwarded to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for consideration of the issuance of a Certificate of Competency, the protester did not file a Certificate of Competency application. Since the bidder's failure to file the application was analogous to a refusal by SBA to issue a Certificate of Competency, the contracting officer's determination that the protester was nonresponsible was affirmed.