B-286351: Dec 27, 2000

A firm protested a Forest Service contract award for mine reclamation work, contending that the Forest Service improperly determined that it was not a small business concern. GAO held that the Forest Service's reliance on the Small Business Administration's (SBA) database to determine whether the protester was a small business was improper because it should have referred the matter to SBA for that...

B-286351: Dec 27, 2000

Was not small and thus was not eligible for a HUBZone evaluation preference was improper because such questions must be referred to the SBA under applicable regulations where the agency does not believe it can or should accept the bidder's self-certification. Was for mine reclamation work at the Aurora Partnership Mine. Section I.2(b) of the IFB stated that "offers will be evaluated by adding a fa...