Agency Protests: A Contractor’s Secret Weapon

Oles Morrison – What do you do when the Agency has made a mistake in the solicitation for a contract requirement or not selected your company for award of the contract?  Most contractors think of filing a protest to Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims (COFC) and therefore do not avail themselves of the secret weapon in bid protests—an agency protest. Smart contractors utilize agency protests which are, cheaper, quicker, not revealed to other offerors, and have little downside on pre-award issues.  While there are risks, an agency protest provides another protest weapon to gain an edge for a contractor in the fight for contracts.