GAO to decide HITS protest by Nov. 24
Within the next week, the Government Accountability Office will add another chapter to the ongoing drama of the Housing and Urban Development Department's IT Services buy when it rules on the second protest filed by the losing vendor.
Within the next week, the Government Accountability Office will add another chapter to the ongoing drama of the Housing and Urban Development Department's IT Services buy when it rules on the second protest filed by the losing vendor.
GAO, however, will not make the decision public until the lawyers from warring companies?Lockheed Martin Corp. and EDS Corp.?have removed sensitive procurement information from the ruling, said Scott Riback, GAO lawyer in charge of the case.
Incumbent contractor Lockheed Martin filed the protest in August calling HUD's evaluation of offers erroneous.
HUD has awarded the $860 million contract to EDS twice. GAO upheld Lockheed's first protest that its bid was a better value. After reopening the buy, the department again awarded the HUD IT Services deal to EDS.
In the second complaint, Lockheed points to HUD's "failure to provide meaningful pre-award discussions and its failure to negate improper advantages EDS gained during transition activities conducted under the first, improperly awarded contract."
GCN staff writer Mary Mosquera contributed to this story.