FedWriters, Inc. (B-421906.7; B-421906.8)

You should not care.

Category: technical evaluation, past performance, IDIQ

Date: 17 September 2024

URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-421906.7%2Cb-421906.8

FedWriters protests the award of an IDIQ contract and initial task order to Kaiva Strategies by the FDA for professional, administrative, and consulting services. The protest challenged the agency's evaluation of proposals and best-value tradeoff decision. After two rounds of corrective action, GAO ultimately denied the protest, finding the agency's evaluation reasonable across all factors including key personnel and past performance.

Key Issues: (1) Whether the agency reasonably evaluated the protester's visual information specialist's portfolio under the key personnel factor–GAO found the agency's assessment of quality and expertise reasonable; (2) whether the agency properly evaluated the awardee's past performance given limited protégé experience–GAO found the aggregate evaluation of mentor-protégé experience acceptable; (3) whether the best-value tradeoff justified the price premium–GAO deferred to the agency's reasonable judgment.

The protest was denied as GAO found the agency's evaluation reasonable and consistent with the solicitation criteria across all challenged aspects.

Digest

1. Protest challenging the agency's evaluation of proposals is denied where the evaluation was reasonable and in accordance with the terms of the solicitation.
2. Protest challenging the agency's best-value tradeoff is denied where the best-value tradeoff was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation.