Waiver To Conduct Competitive Procurement Rather Than Purchase from Federal Supply Schedule

A company protested a procurement in which the agency requested and was granted a waiver to conduct competitive procurement instead of purchasing safes from the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS). The agency should have referenced filing cabinets, also listed on the FSS, in its waiver request and should resubmit its request with this reference. A specification alleged to describe a nonexistent item was appropriate for the agency's use in seeking the waiver. GAO did not consider a matter concerning the degree of protection to be afforded by safes, which was an agency responsibility, or the protest against the waiver which was properly granted.