[Protest of EPA Contract Award for Research Support Services]

A firm protested an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contract award for research support services, contending that EPA: (1) failed to consider its unsolicited bid; (2) improperly incorporated ideas from the unsolicited proposal in its solicitation; and (3) did not consider its offer of a commercial product to satisfy the requirements. GAO held that: (1) EPA reasonably determined that the protester's submission was advertising material and not an unsolicited proposal; (2) restrictions on the use of the protester's ideas did not apply, since it was advertising material and not an unsolicited proposal; and (3) EPA reasonably determined that the awardee's product best met the requirements. Accordingly, the protest was denied.