[Protest of GSA Procurement Procedures Under Solicitation for Paper Towel Products]

A firm protested its exclusion from bidding under a General Services Administration (GSA) solicitation for paper towel products, contending that: (1) GSA improperly failed to send it, the incumbent contractor, a copy of the solicitation; (2) it had been an active bidder for the products since 1985; and (3) it had repeatedly requested that GSA include it in its automated bidders mailing list. GSA contended that, although it had not included the protester on its mailing list and failed to send the protester a copy of the solicitation, it had obtained full and open competition, since it published notice of the procurement in the Commerce Business Daily. GAO held that GSA failed to obtain full and open competition, since: (1) it did not solicit the incumbent; and (2) it received only a single bid for 14 line items. Accordingly, the protest was sustained, and GAO recommended that GSA cancel the solicitation for the 14 line items for which it received a single bid and resolicit those requirements.