B-265662: Dec 19, 1995

A firm protested a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contract award for expansion shields, contending that the awardee's proposed alternate product would not satisfy DLA minimum needs. GAO held that DLA failed to: (1) state its actual needs; and (2) advise bidders that alternate products had to be interchangeable in all respects with the stated brand name product. Accordingly, the protest was sustain...

B-265662: Dec 19, 1995

Protest of award to offeror of alternate product is sustained where agency failed to apprise offerors that interchangeability for purposes of only one limited application was required. The expansion shields are used to anchor items to concrete. Were interchangeable with the brand name Hilti part requested by the solicitation. The solicitation did not specify the application for which the anchors w...