AOC Solutions, Inc. (B-422761; B-422761.2)

Category: Technical evaluation, past performance, best-value tradeoff

Date: October 18, 2024

URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-422761%2Cb-422761.2

You should not care.

AOC Solutions, Inc., protested FTC's award of a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to Castro & Company, LLC, for financial management and internal control support services. AOC contended that FTC improperly evaluated its technical approach, past performance, and made an unreasonable best-value tradeoff decision. AOC argued that its proposal, particularly its innovative approaches, should have received an “exceptional” rating under the technical and management approach factor, and that its record as the incumbent justified an "exceptional" past performance rating.

GAO found FTC’s evaluation reasonable and aligned with the solicitation. FTC evaluated AOC’s technical proposal as “very good,” finding no unique strengths that exceeded basic requirements. In past performance, FTC awarded AOC a “good” rating, considering its incumbent experience valuable but not justifying an "exceptional" rating. GAO also upheld FTC’s tradeoff decision, as Castro’s “exceptional” technical rating and minor price difference justified the award. GAO dismissed AOC’s objections regarding evaluation consistency, ruling that AOC’s concerns primarily reflected a disagreement with FTC's judgment.

Digest

Protest challenging agency’s evaluation under solicitation’s technical and management approach factor is denied where the protester fails to demonstrate that the agency’s evaluation was unreasonable.