Government contractors usually find themselves appearing before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on a bid protest for one of two reasons: (1) you believe that the government erroneously did not award a contract to your business or (2) your business holds a contract award that is challenged by a disappointed offeror. Either way, there is
GAO: Agency Reasonably Concerned Over Lack of Price Increases
We often discuss the need for government contractors to Read and React when responding to a solicitation: (1) Read the RFP and understand all of the requirements and limitations and (2) React to the RFP’s evaluation scheme by playing the appropriate strengths and minimizing weaknesses. And sometimes, the best reaction is knowing the value
GAO Offers Insight into Winning (and Losing) Bid Protest Arguments
Government contractors know the odds on GAO bid protests – are they are not all that good. Even with a noticeable uptick, the statistics reveal that less than 1/4 (about 23%) of all bid protests were sustained in FY 16. Even factoring in voluntary agency corrective action, the odds of a positive outcome are
Late is Late: A Guide to Delivering Electronic Proposals on Time
This is not a unique story – but there is still a lesson for Federal contractors to learn.
A recent GAO decision considered an electronic proposal submitted by email just prior to the 4:00 p.m. deadline. Although the contractor beat the clock, the proposal did not arrive in the contracting officer’s electronic mailbox until about
Proposal Prep Tips: Real vs. Imagined Past Performance Experience
A response to an RFP is the government contractor’s chance to put its best foot forward and stand out from the crowd. Particularly when it comes to best value procurements, this is your chance to tell the contracting officer that your company does it best (whatever it is).
But, a recent bid protest decision
Money for Nothing: Recovering Bid Protest Attorneys’ Fees
Winning bid protests all share one common theme – the government erred somewhere in the procurement process and the contractor was unfairly prejudiced as a result. It is then up to the contractor to expend the time, effort, and resources necessary just to return to the status quo of basic fairness.
Fortunately for contractors, the
How to Approach Best Value RFPs and Protest Improper Award Decisions
Government contractors responding to RFPs understand the need to read the fine print.
Mostly commonly, we discuss this topic in terms of pure proposal acceptability. Protest decisions from the GAO and Court of Federal Claims make it abundantly clear that the burden falls on the contractor to follow directions and include all of the
GAO: Contractor (Not Agency) Responsible for Alleged Technical Glitch
Bid protests concerning proposal interpretation present an uphill battle for federal contractors. Both the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims take the expansive view that the contractor is responsible for the content of its proposal — and that it is not the agency’s role to play detective or dig through a proposal
Bid Protest Corrective Action: You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Every government contractor that files a bid protest has the same goal in mind – corrective action. The agency made a procurement error and changes need to be made.
But just because the agency takes corrective action does not mean it will be the corrective action your firm wants. Contractors should take the time to
Update: GAO Previews New Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is establishing a new system for filing bid protests – the Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS). GAO promises that the new system will be both “secure” and “easy-to-use.”
This week, GAO rolled out a new set of instructions that offers greater insight into the new e-filing process.
The instructions