Agency Failed to Give Protester Opportunity to Respond to Adverse Past Performance Information; GAO B-413523.6, Walden Security, Akal Security Inc.

Protest challenging the agency’s past performance evaluation is sustained, where the agency failed to allow the protester opportunity to address adverse past performance information to which the offeror was not previously given an opportunity to respond, despite a provision in the solicitation stating such an opportunity would be given; and protests challenging the agency’s evaluation of the awardee’s past performance are denied, where the agency reasonably concluded that the awardee’s overall past performance outweighed one adverse reference, and where the agency reasonably found the awardee’s references relevant, even though the reference contracts were performed for other agencies; and protests challenging the agency’s technical evaluation are denied, where the agency reasonably concluded the protesters’ proposals lacked sufficient detail describing their approaches to the requirements and that the awardee’s proposal offered certain benefits.