[Protest of NIH Solicitation for Animal Research Facility]

A firm protested a National Institutes of Health (NIH) solicitation for primate caging systems, contending that the solicitation's: (1) brand name specifications restricted competition; and (2) delivery schedule restricted competition, since inexperienced companies would have difficulty fulfilling the contract requirement. GAO held that the: (1) solicitation specifications did not unduly restrict competition, since NIH reasonably determined that the specifications were necessary to meet its minimum needs; and (2) protester failed to provide evidence that the delivery schedule restricted competition or that the specifications did not reflect NIH needs. Accordingly, the protest was denied.