ManTech objects to how DHS wants to correct mistake
By
Nick Wakeman
ManTech International has filed a fresh protest involving a $93 million Homeland Security contract and says the agency's plan to correct prior mistakes was inadequate.
ManTech International was on track to win a protest involving a $93 million Homeland Security Department contract, but DHS pulled the plug and took a corrective action on the cusp of a Government Accountability Office
But in ManTech's view, DHS' corrective action is inadequate. The company has filed a new protest arguing that the corrective action doesn’t go far enough.
DHS wants to hold limited discussions with bidders and make a new award decision.
CACI International won that Alliant 2 task order to provide engineering, IT and telecommunications services to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency.
CACI likely still has the inside track to win the award again because that is what usually happens. But DHS cannot make a new award as long as ManTech’s protest is pending.
ManTech has a second related case moving forward. After DHS took its corrective so close to GAO's decision, ManTech asked GAO to rule that the government needs to reimburse the company for its protest costs. Given how late in the game DHS announced the corrective action, indicates that ManTech was likely to prevail.
In that kind of situation, companies can ask for their costs to be reimbursed. Even if ManTech has filed a new protest, the request for reimbursement continues on. There is no impact on that case.
A GAO decision is expected on the request for costs by July 30. The bid protest will be decided by Aug. 26.