ALLEGATION THAT SPECIFICATION REQUIRING "DISC DRIVE" TO BE SUPPLIED WITH "CACHE" FEATURE UNDULY RESTRICTS COMPETITION IS DENIED SINCE AGENCY HAS PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR DRAFTING SPECIFICATIONS REFLECTING MINIMUM NEEDS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND GAO WILL NOT OBJECT IN THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE OF A LACK OF REASONABLE BASIS FOR THE QUESTIONED SPECIFICATION. 2. PROTEST THAT DELIVERY SCHEDULE UNDULY RESTR...

A firm protested a Department of Agriculture (USDA) request for proposals for computer equipment, contending that competition was unduly restricted since the specified disc drive was a new product and that only the manufacturer could meet the required delivery schedule. The protester further contended that the specifications and evaluation criteria were excessively general, preventing the submissi...