A firm protested the Air Force's award of a fixed-price contract for refueling booms, contending that the awardee's item bid price was lower than its price on a prior contract and was indicative of an attempt to eliminate small business competition. GAO believed that, in stating that the awardee's price was below its price on a prior contract, the protester may have been alleging that the offer co...

CONTRACTS - NEGOTIATIONS - OFFERS OR PROPOSALS - PRICES - UNPROFITABLE DIGEST: THERE IS NO LEGAL BASIS TO OBJECT TO A BELOW-COST OFFER. IS INDICATIVE OF AN ATTEMPT TO ELIMINATE SMALL BUSINESS COMPETITION BY "PREDATORY PRICING" AND BUYING-IN. WE HAVE CONSIDERED PREVIOUSLY A CONTENTION THAT AN AWARD TO A BELOW COST OR BUY-IN OFFEROR WOULD RESTRICT FREE AND OPEN COMPETITION. FIXED-PRICE OFFER IS NOT...