First protest hits $12.5B Air Force network infrastructure contract
Gettyimages.com/Yuichiro Chino
By
Nick Wakeman
Company challenges the evaluation of its proposal which was deemed technically unacceptable.
Protests are to be expected whenever a multibillion-dollar contract is awarded to nearly a dozen companies, after all there are always disappointed bidders.
Such is the case with the Air Force’s $12.5 billion Base Infrastructure Modernization program, a 10-year contract that 23 companies were chosen for in August. They will compete for task orders to support the wired and wireless infrastructure at Air National Guard and Air Force reserve bases around the country.
The Air Force received 47 proposals and one of those bids came from Technica Corp., which was not selected for an award and is now protesting.
The solicitation said the Air Force would make awards to bidders whose proposals were deemed acceptable and the company was a responsible contractor. Price was not a consideration.
Technica’s protest challenges the Air Force’s evaluation that found the company's technical proposal was unacceptable.
So far, Technica is the only protester. But it is reasonable to expect more will file as the Air Force completes debriefings.
Technica filed its protest Sept. 3 and a Government Accountability Office decision is expected by Dec. 12.