DIGEST: PROTEST FILED WITH GAO MORE THAN 10 WORKING DAYS AFTER PROTESTER RECEIVES NOTIFICATION OF INITIAL ADVERSE ACTION (DENIAL OF ITS PROTEST FILED WITH CONTRACTING AGENCY) IS UNTIMELY AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED ON ITS MERITS. 1981 NOTIFYING GERM FREE THAT ITS PROTEST WAS DENIED CONSTITUTED INITIAL ADVERSE AGENCY ACTION. NO PROTEST TO OUR OFFICE WAS FILED WITHIN THE 10 DAY TIME LIMIT. THE PROTES...

A firm protested the award of a contract under a solicitation issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. The record showed that the firm initially protested the award in a letter to the contracting officer in which it objected to the contracting officer's determination that its bid was nonresponsive because the offered item did not meet all of the specifications. The agency, however, denied th...