Protest of Bid Rejection as Not Being Within Competitive Range

An individual protested the rejection of his proposal as not technically or financially acceptable and therefore not in the competitive range. The protester contended that his proposal was technically acceptable and within the competitive range because his firm had the personnel, facilities, and experience to perform the work. The protester also believed that his contract price was not so high as to preclude meaningful negotiations. The agency found the contrary in most areas, and the record indicated that the agency's determination was reasonable. GAO will not regard an evaluation as unreasonble merely because the agency and the offeror disagree, and the agency's discretion will not be disturbed absent a clear showing that it was arbitrary or unreasonable. Also, a proposal may be excluded from the competitive range where, in the agency's judgment, the proposal has no reasonable chance of being selected for the award. The protest was denied.