In Protection Strategies Etc. International, LLC, B-423539 (Aug. 25, 2025), Protection Strategies, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), filed a pre-award protest challenging the terms of a solicitation issued by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) for background investigation support services. The protester objected to the agency’s decision to…
The Bid Protest Debrief
No Bid, No Protest: Federal Circuit Court Clarifies “Interested Party” in Major Standing Decision
In Percipient.ai, Inc. v. United States, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, No. 2023-1970 (Decided Aug. 28, 2025), Percipient.ai challenged a task order award by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), alleging that the government violated 10 U.S.C. § 3453—a statutory preference for commercial items—by failing to fairly consider…
“Consistently Inconsistent”: Court of Federal Claims Finds Navy’s Past Performance Rating System Arbitrary
In Advanced Technology Systems Company v. United States, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, No. 25-515C (July 16, 2025), Advanced Technology Systems Company (ATSC) protested the Navy’s award of a contract for a nationwide maritime surveillance system in Egypt to Forward Slope, Inc. (FSI). ATSC argued that the Navy’s best value…
Protester Gets Paid: GAO Finds Army Waited Too Long to Fix Flawed Award
After the GAO indicated it would likely sustain Perimeter Security Partners’ protest challenging a task order award for access control point maintenance, the Army took corrective action—but only after filing its agency report and participating in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) with the cognizant GAO attorney. Perimeter then requested reimbursement of…
Too Late to Speak Up: GAO Dismisses Sole-Source Protest for Inaction
In Economic Systems, Inc., B-423747, et al. (Aug. 22, 2025), Economic Systems, Inc. (EconSys) protested the Department of the Interior’s decision to issue a sole-source purchase order to Government Retirements and Benefits, Inc. for a retirement benefits software platform. EconSys argued that it offered a platform with identical functionality and…
Being the Incumbent Does Not Guarantee the Win: COFC Upholds DHS Cybersecurity Award
In SOFITC3, LLC v. United States, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, No. 24-2064C (August 21, 2025), incumbent contractor SOFITC3 challenged the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) award of a cybersecurity contract to Delviom, arguing that the agency’s evaluation was flawed on several fronts. SOFITC3 claimed that Delviom had improperly combined…
Protester Scores Rare Win: Court of Federal Claims Finds Award Cancellation Arbitrary
In CAN Softtech Inc. v. United States, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, No. 24-1009C, July 29, 2025, CAN Softtech Inc. (CSI) protested the General Services Administration’s decision to cancel its award for IT support services for the Air Force, alleging that the agency’s corrective action—terminating the award and re-soliciting the…
Protester Pulls Off Trifecta: GAO Sustains on Technical, Past Performance and OCI Grounds
Emissary LLC, the incumbent contractor, protested the Department of Defense’s Washington Headquarters Services’ award of a contract to Gemini Industries for technical support services to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict. (See emissary LLC, B-422388.3, et al., July 29, 2025.) GAO sustained the protest,…
“Incumbent-itis” Costs TYD the Contract: GAO Denies Protest Over Incomplete Proposal
In TYD Services, B-423648, July 30, 2025, TYD Services, the incumbent contractor, protested the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to award a vehicle leasing contract in Qatar to a competitor, Rahman Group, Inc. TYD was excluded from award because its proposal was found technically unacceptable. TYD argued that its past…
Addx Protest Fails: Untimely at the Agency, Too Late for GAO
In Addx Corp., B-423633, July 23, 2025, Addx protested the Air Force’s issuance of a task order to KL3 LLC under the OASIS+ small business IDIQ contract. Addx challenged both the evaluation of its proposal and an alleged ambiguity in the solicitation, but GAO dismissed the protest as untimely, offering…