Protest of: BrightPoint, LLC
B-423392, B-423392.2, B-423392.3
- BrightPoint raised numerous challenges to the Department of Agriculture’s evaluation and award of a task order for information technology services.
- The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) sustained one protest ground: that the discriminators identified by the Agency to justify its award decision were based on the awardee’s experience with work unrelated to the anticipated work scope and also possessed and demonstrated by Brightpoint.
- In response to this protest ground, the Agency argued “in general terms” that its evaluation was reasonable and equal.
- But GAO noted that the Agency did not demonstrate a connection between the Solicitation’s requirements and the positive findings it gave to the awardee’s experience.
- The Agency also did not “meaningfully respond” to Brightpoint’s allegations of unequal treatment, stating only that it treated offerors equally.
- GAO determined that, but for the discriminators identified in favor of the awardee, Brightpoint might have been selected for award, even at a small price premium.
- GAO recommended the Agency reevaluate the prior experience volumes and make a new source selection decision.
