Booz Allen faces challenge to $230M VA win
By
Nick Wakeman
Booz Allen Hamilton is facing a challenge from Calibre Systems, the incumbent on a $230 million Veterans Affairs contract that Booz Allen just won.
Calibre Systems is locked in a battle with Booz Allen Hamilton for a $231 million contract to support Veterans Affairs efforts to help military personnel transition to civilian life.
Part of the transition includes signing up for VA benefits. Calibre has been the incumbent on the project since 2011 and it is one of the mid-size company’s largest contracts.
After it lost the recompete to Booz Allen, Calibre filed a bid protest with the Government Accountability Office objecting to VA’s choice of Booz Allen.
In many ways, this is a classic example of in incumbent fighting to keep a lost contract.
In this case, you have the much smaller Calibre (No. 99 on the 2017 Top 100) taking on Booz Allen (No. 8. But Calibre has long been out of any small business set-aside programs and like many mid-tier companies competes every day with larger firms.
Given that it is one of Calibre’s largest contracts and largest customers, it stands to reason they would take every opportunity to hang on to the work.
It is interesting work too that includes IT and program management work, as well as training.
Calibre works directly with veterans to help them transition from the different military branches to civil life, including help with transferring medical and personnel records and other benefits from Defense Department systems to VA systems. Work takes place globally.
Calibre filed its protest June 12 and a decision is due Sept. 20.
The company declined to comment on the protest.