[Protest of Selection of Startup Date for Contract]

A firm protested the selection of a startup date under a contract awarded by the Department of Labor for security guard services. The protester contended that: (1) in selecting the startup date, the contracting officer failed to allot the firm sufficient time to prepare for contract performance; and (2) applicable regulations require that a solicitation specify the startup date, which it did not. GAO found that: (1) selection of a startup date is a matter of contract administration, which is the responsibility of the contracting agency; and (2) the allegation that the solicitation violated applicable regulations was untimely filed. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed.