Protest pressure can speed agency answers

Sometimes the government customer needs a little push and a bid protest might be a tool worth considering.

Take for example, Booz Allen Hamilton’s recent protest of an Air Force contract.

The company wants to bid on an Alliant task order to support the Air Force Chief Information Officer with advisory and assistance services. They've been provided these services since at least 2011, according to Deltek.

But apparently there was something in the solicitation that Booz Allen wanted clarification on and despite repeated attempts to get the Air Force to respond to its questions, the company still wasn’t getting a useful answer.

Enter the protest.

The company filed its complaint with the Government Accountability Office on May 9 and immediately got the Air Force’s attention.

On May 10, Booz Allen withdrew its protest as the Air Force apparently is taking steps to clarify the solicitation.

The company declined to comment about the protest or contract. But a legal source told me that protests filed before proposals are due are often the quickest to resolve issues with a solicitation. Particularly when an agency isn’t being responsive.

In this case, Booz Allen moved fast because proposals are due May 11 at 3 p.m. No word on whether there is a delay.