[Protest of Navy Contract Award for Brig Program Study]

A firm protested a Navy contract award for the implementation of a Navy study's management and operational recommendations, contending that the Navy improperly: (1) excluded it from the competitive range; and (2) awarded the contract to another firm due to the Navy evaluator's alleged conflict of interest. GAO held that: (1) the Navy properly excluded the protester's offer from the competitive range since its price was substantially higher than the other bids; and (2) the protester failed to show that the Navy improperly awarded the contract through favoritism toward the awardee. Accordingly, the protest was denied.