Allegation That Bid Specifications Required Unavailable Materials

The protesting firm objected to a contract award by the General Services Administration (GSA) for prison uniforms on the ground that the solicitation specifications were unclear. The specifications presented fabric requirements in detail, but the color requirement showed a specific material number and added the words "or equal" after the name of the color. GAO held that the words "or equal" referred only to the color and did not mean another fabric was being referred to in this context. The protester could have requested material color swatches directly from the GSA procurement office. It was pointed out that the invitation for bid stated that the GSA procurement office would be the source for any information desired by the bidder. Instead, the protester pursued the question of the availability of the fabric with the Bureau of Prisons. Hence, the protest was denied.