Agency Guidance on Adjectival Ratings Have No Bearing on Evaluation; GAO B-414017, Cognitive Medical Systems Inc.

Protest challenging the adjectival rating assigned to the protester’s proposal is denied, where the agency’s internal guidance defining adjectival ratings had no bearing on the evaluation scheme established in the solicitation; and protest challenging the agency’s best-value determination is denied where the agency reasonably determined that the protester’s proposal was essentially equal to the awardee’s proposal under the non-price evaluation factors, and therefore made award to the lower-priced offeror.