Solicitation Requirement for Disclosure of Possible Conflicts of Interest

A company protested an agency's refusal to consider its proposal, arguing that its disclosure statement on possible conflicts of interest which the agency considered inadequate had essentially the same meaning as a statement which the agency would accept. The protest was sustained because, although the agency may require the disclosure as a prerequisite for consideration of a proposal, ambiguity in the solicitation led the offeror to conclude that a warranty of no possible conflicts of interest would satisfy the solicitation provision. The agency should negotiate with the protester to establish whether it meets the qualification criteria.