Agency Improperly Failed to Address Disqualifying Weaknesses During Discussions; GAO B-414329, Mevacon-NASCO JV; Encanto Facility Services, LLC

Protest challenging the evaluation of offerors’ solutions to a sample problem is denied where the agency’s evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation, but sustained because the agency gave undue weight to the sample problem response in the overall evaluation; and protest challenging the agency’s discussions is sustained, where the agency failed to advise one of the protesters that its technical proposal also contained weaknesses that the agency viewed as creating a high risk of unsuccessful performance; and protest that the awardee made a material misrepresentation regarding its bona fide place of business is dismissed, where the matter concerns its eligibility for the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program and is not under GAO’s jurisdiction to review; and protest challenging the best value tradeoff decision is sustained, where the decision did not explain why the agency selected the awardee’s higher-priced, higher technically rated proposal for award.