Federal Government Contracting - LIVE Q&A - Topic: Bid Protest

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G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
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G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
A B O U T O U R
C O N S U LT I N G S E RV I C E S F O R F E D E R A L C O N T R A C TO R S :
* M A R K E T A N A LY S I S
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* P R I C I N G
* C O M P L I A N C E / A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
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G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 2 1
BID PROTEST

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 – B I D P R O T E S T
WELCOME & THANK YOU TO OUR
SPEAKERS

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
M A R Y B E T H B O S C O
H O L L A N D & K N I G H T L L P
M A R Y B E T H . B O S C O @ H K L AW. C O M
2 0 2 - 4 6 9 - 5 2 7 0

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
E D D E L I S L E
O F F I T K U R M A N , P. A .
E D E L I S L E @ O F F I T K U R M A N . C O M

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
J O S H U A D U VA L L
M AT R O S S E D WA R D S L L C
J D U V A L L @ M AT R O S S E D W A R D S . C O M
2 0 2 - 8 5 4 - 9 9 5 9

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
E L I Z A B E T H J O C H U M
S M I T H PA C H T E R
M C W H O R T E R P L C
E J O C H U M @ S M I T H P A C H T E R . C O M
7 0 3 - 8 3 9 - 8 1 3 5

Bid Protests
* The right to challenge the rules of a procurement, a proposal evaluation or an award.
* Governed by statute and/or regulation.
* Provides an opportunity to ensure a fair and objective procurement process.
* Key to success: Understanding the rules!
2021 – Q&A Cafe - Washington DC
JSchaus & Associates

Types of Bid Protests
* Pre-Award – Challenge to the terms of a solicitation or ground rules associated with a competition.
* Post-Award – Challenge to an agency’s evaluation and award decision.
* Some protests do not fit neatly into either box, e.g., elimination from competitive range.

Who can file?
* “Interested party”
* An actual of prospective bidder or offeror whose direct economic interest would be affected by the award of the
contract or failure to award the contract.
Where to File
* agency (filed with contracting officer)
* government accountability office (GAO)
* U.S. Court of federal claims (COFC)
* watch for agencies that do not follow the FAR, e.G., Usps

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
D E B R I E F I N G S
• FA R PA R T 1 5
• FA R S U B PA R T 1 6 . 5 0 5 – TA S K / D E L I V E R Y O R D E R S O V E R $ 6 M I L L I O N
• 3 D AY S T O R E Q U E S T T H E D E B R I E F I N G
• O N LY “ R E Q U I R E D ” I F T I M E LY R E Q U E S T E D
• I M PA C T O N G A O B I D P R O T E S T T I M E L I N E S S & C I C A S TAY

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
P L E A D I N G R E Q U I R E M E N T S
A G E N C Y
• F A R 3 3 . 1 0 3
• C O N TA C T, S O L . N O . , L E G A L & F A C T U A L G R O U N D S , E T C .
G A O
• 4 C . F. R . § 2 1 . 1
• C O N TA C T, S O L . N O . , L E G A L & F A C T U A L G R O U N D S , E T C .
C O F C
• P R E - F I L I N G N O T I C E
• F E D E R A L R U L E S A N D C A S E L A W
• T W O M B LY A N D I Q B A L S TA N D A R D S

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
I N T E R V E N T I O N
• G A O & C O F C
• A C T I V E V S . PA S S I V E
• D E F E N D T H E W I N & A V O I D C O R R E C T I V E A C T I O N
• P R O T E C T C O N F I D E N T I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
• M O N I T O R P R O T E S T
• S C O P E O F C O R R E C T I V E A C T I O N

Prosecuting a Protest: Should you file a protest?
1. Do you have grounds to protest?
Best opportunity to prevail is failure to follow the process for the competition, i.e., failure to evaluate
mandatory criteria, discussions with only one offer.
Most prevalent grounds for protests: Unreasonable technical evaluation; Unreasonable past performance
evaluation; Unreasonable price or cost evaluation; Inadequate documentation of the record; and Flawed
selection decision.
2. Should you protest?
What are the available remedies?
Should you consider the reaction of the contracting agency?

Prosecuting a Protest: What is the Schedule?
1. Five-day letter due five days before Agency Report (AR)
2. AR due 30 days after protest filed.
3. Comments on AR due 10 days after AR is filed.
4. GAO may request supplemental briefing.
Prosecuting a Protest: Protective Orders
Post-Award Protests involve a review of the competing proposals and the Agency’s evaluation of those proposals.
How can competing offerors fairly participate in the protest process?
GAO’s Solution:
Attorneys-Eyes-Only Protective Orders
Who can be admitted?
What can be shared?

Prosecuting a protest: the AR
what should be in the AR?
The report must include the contracting officer's statement of the relevant facts, a memorandum of
law, and a list and a copy of all relevant documents, or portions of documents, including, as appropriate: the
bid or proposal submitted by the protester; the bid or proposal of the firm which is being considered for
award, or whose bid or proposal is being protested; all evaluation documents; the solicitation, including the
specifications; the abstract of bids or offers; and any other relevant documents.
What to look for in the record? What is missing? Does it merit proceeding?
Ask to supplement or leave as is and argue no support for decision?
Grounds for supplemental protest?
When is expert appropriate?

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
P O S S I B L E P R O T E S T O U T C O M E S :
C O R R E C T I V E A C T I O N
A g e n c y e l e c t s t o v o l u n t a r i l y t a k e a c t i o n t o m o o t t h e p r o t e s t . C o m m o n l y
i n v o l v e s r e e v a l u a t i n g p r o p o s a l s a n d m a k i n g a n e w a w a r d d e c i s i o n o r
r e o p e n i n g d i s c u s s i o n s .
S U S TA I N E D O R D E N I E D D E C I S I O N
G A O a t t o r n e y o r C o u r t o f F e d e r a l C l a i m s j u d g e e i t h e r s u s t a i n s o r d e n i e s
t h e p r o t e s t . I m p a c t o f t h o s e d e c i s i o n s d i f f e r s a t G A O v s . t h e C o u r t .

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
A P P E A L S A N D “A P P E A L S :
F R O M G A O
O p t i o n s a f t e r l o s i n g a G A O p r o t e s t i n c l u d e f i l i n g a r e q u e s t f o r
r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o r p o s s i b l y f i l i n g a “ s e c o n d b i t e a t t h e a p p l e ” p r o t e s t a t
C O F C .
F R O M C O F C
D e n i a l s a t t h e C O F C c a n b e a p p e a l e d t o t h e U . S . C o u r t o f A p p e a l s f o r t h e
F e d e r a l C i r c u i t .

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
R E C O V E R I N G P R O T E S T C O S T S
AT G A O
G A O w i l l g e n e r a l l y r e c o m m e n d t h a t a p r o t e s t e r b e r e i m b u r s e d t h e c o s t o f
f i l i n g a n d p u r s u i n g a p r o t e s t , i n c l u d i n g a t t o r n e y s ’ f e e s , w h e n G A O
s u s t a i n s t h e p r o t e s t o r w h e r e t h e a g e n c y u n d u l y d e l a y s i n t a k i n g
c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n i n r e s p o n s e t o a c l e a r l y m e r i t o r i o u s p r o t e s t .
AT C O F C
S o m e s m a l l b u s i n e s s p r o t e s t e r s c a n r e c o v e r a t t o r n e y s ’ f e e s u n d e r t h e
E q u a l A c c e s s t o J u s t i c e A c t i f t h e y a r e t h e “ p r e v a i l i n g p a r t y.” L i t t l e t o n o
a b i l i t y t o r e c o v e r p r o t e s t c o s t s f o l l o w i n g v o l u n t a r y c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
H O W O F T E N D O E S G A O H O L D H E A R I N G S ?
2 0 2 - 4 6 9 - 5 2 7 0

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
E D P L S T Y P E Q U E S T I O N H E R E F O R U S T O A S K Y O U
E D D E L I S L E

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
W H AT A R E D E PA R T M E N T O F D E F E N S E E N H A N C E D D E B R I E F I N G S ?
J B D U VA L L @ G M A I L . C O M
2 0 2 - 8 5 4 - 9 9 5 9

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
C a n y o u p r o t e s t a n a g e n c y ’s d e c i s i o n t o t a k e c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n o r t h e
s c o p e o f t h e p l a n n e d a c t i o n ?
E J O C H U M @ S M I T H PA C H T E R . C O M
7 0 3 - 8 3 9 - 8 1 3 5

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
C A N I N - H O U S E C O U N S E L B E A D M I T T E D T O T H E P R O T E C T I V E O R D E R ?
2 0 2 - 4 6 9 - 5 2 7 0

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
E D P L E A S E T Y P E 2 N D Q U E S T I O N H E R E F O R U S T O A S K Y O U
E D D E L I S L E

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
C A N A C O N T R A C T O R R E C E I V E A D E B R I E F I N G I F I T M I S S E S T H E 3 - D AY
D E A D L I N E O R I N A P R O C U R E M E N T T H AT I S N ’ T U N D E R FA R PA R T 1 5 ?
J B D U VA L L @ G M A I L . C O M
2 0 2 - 8 5 4 - 9 9 5 9

G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
W h e n c a n I r e c o v e r b i d a n d p r o p o s a l c o s t s ?
7 0 3 - 8 3 9 - 8 1 3 5

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G O V C O N - Q & A C A F É - 2 0 2 1
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M A R Y B E T H . B O S C O @ H K L A W. C O M
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Federal Government Contracting - LIVE Q&A - Topic: Bid Protest

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