GAO Rules on GSA Schedule Contracts: Size Usually Stays, 8(a) Status Doesn’t

Does 8(a) status remain in place for the duration of GSA Schedule contracts? GAO says no.

In MIRACORP, Inc., B-416917 (Comp. Gen. Jan. 2, 2019), the incumbent contractor for administrative support services sought by the Department of Energy, protested the Department’s evaluation and award of a delivery order to RiVidium, Inc., an 8(a) small business. GAO dismissed the protest, saying that the protester–which had graduated from the 8(a) program–lacked standing because it wasn’t eligible for the 8(a) set-aside order.

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GAO Recommends Successful Protester Be Placed in MATOC Pool

Multiple-award task-order contracts are becoming an increasingly common feature of government contracting, and many carry very high ceiling values. This places participation in MATOC awards at a premium.

Unsurprisingly, base MATOC awards are being protested with some frequency before GAO. In a recent decision, GAO provided a unique solution for sustaining MATOC protests without causing substantial disruptions: simply adding the successful protester to the pool.

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GAO: Agencies May Request Size Re-certification For Task Orders

The GAO has confirmed that procuring agencies may require contractors to re-certify their “small” sizes in connection with task order competitions under a small business multiple-award contract.  The GAO’s recent decision in The Ross Group Construction Corporation, B-405180.3 (Aug. 7, 2012) demonstrates that procuring agencies have broad discretion to request size re-certification–even for task order competitions for which re-certification was not initially requested.

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