Overstock objects to how GSA is running e-commerce procurement

The General Services Administration may have thought the changes they made to the e-commerce portal solicitation were a step in the right direction, but at least one potential bidder is not happy with it.

Overstock.com has filed a protest objecting to terms of the solicitation.

The company is arguing that the changes are restricting competition because the time frame was too short.

GSA released the amendments to the solicitation on Jan. 8 and wanted companies to amend their proposals by Jan. 15, the same day Overstock filed its protest.

It was that one-week response time that the company is arguing is too short. In their eyes, the quick turnaround restricts competition.

Overstock did not respond to a request for comment.

GSA can continue on with evaluating proposals but the agency is restricted from making an award while the protest is pending.

The Government Accountability Office is expected to rule on the protest by April 24, unless GSA takes some sort of corrective action, which would lead to the protest being dismissed.

The e-commerce project is GSA's attempt to field an online marketplace for government agencies to buy commercial products priced below $10,000.

Procurement watchers have told our sister publication FCW that the changes to the solicitation were not dramatic. They said the amendments were designed to give bidders more flexibility in how they would meet GSA requirements.