More protests hit $400M FDA contract

The Food and Drug Administration is getting more push back on some of its decisions involving a $400 million contract to support inspections and regulatory enforcement efforts.

Three more companies have joined Deloitte Consulting in protesting FDA’s decision to eliminate them from further consideration for an award of the Imports and Systems for Inspection, Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement contract known as SIRCE.

New protests have been filed by ECS Federal, Salient CRGT and the incumbent Leidos. This is also the second time ECS has protested. ECS was knocked out earlier in the process, but then the FDA allowed them back into the competition after their first protest.

The contract will support FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, which is responsible for the regulation of food, drugs, medical devices and other health products. FDA wants to revamp and modernize the systems that support these efforts.

Leidos has held the Mission Accomplishment and Regulatory Compliance Services Integration Contract since 2013.

Deloitte filed its protest over the MARCS contract on July 17 and a Government Accountability Office decision on that challenge is expected Oct. 26.

Salient CRGT filed on July 22 and that decision is expected Oct. 30. Leidos and ECS both filed on July 23, with decisions there expected by Nov. 2.

While GAO can render separate decisions on each, if the arguments and facts are similar enough, the agency could combine them into one decision.