Unified Architecture & Engineering, Inc. v. United States

46 Fed. Cl. 56, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 25, 2000 WL 222249
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedFebruary 4, 2000
DocketNo. 99-514 C
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 46 Fed. Cl. 56 (Unified Architecture & Engineering, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Unified Architecture & Engineering, Inc. v. United States, 46 Fed. Cl. 56, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 25, 2000 WL 222249 (uscfc 2000).

Opinion

ORDER

MOODY R. TIDWELL, III, Senior Judge.

This post-award protest comes before the court on cross-motions for judgment on the administrative record. Plaintiff, Unified Architecture & Engineering, Inc. (Unified), contests the decision of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to award a contract to Gilcrest Electric and Supply Company (Gilcrest) to provide maintenance, operations, recertification, and engineering services. Plaintiff seeks (1) declaratory and injunctive relief on the grounds that (a) the contract award was arbitrary and capricious and (b) the contract was awarded contrary to applicable procurement laws and regulations and (2) declaratory and equitable relief based on defendant’s breach of the implied-in-fact contract to fairly and honestly consider the competitive proposals. For the reasons set forth below, the court grants defendant’s motion and denies plaintiffs motion, and in doing so, denies plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction.

BACKGROUND

On November 2,1998, NASA issued Solicitation No. 3-095280 (solicitation) for competitive proposals from small business offerors for a cost-plus-incentive fee contract, which contained some fixed price elements, to provide maintenance, operation, recertification, and engineering services to support the major research facilities and systems at NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center and its Plum Brook Station in Ohio. The contract consolidates requirements previously obtained by NASA under four separate contracts. The facilities covered in this acquisition included, but were not limited to, the 10x10 Supersonic Wind Tunnel, the 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel, the Engine Research Building, the Central Air Equipment Building, and the Cooler Tower Water Facility. The solicitation specified a base performance period of two years plus three, one-year options. The estimated cost of the contract over a five year term is 39 million dollars.2 Six bidders, including plaintiff, submitted proposals. All unsuccessful bidders were notified by both verbal and written notice on May 5, 1999. On May 18, 1999, NASA awarded the contract to Gilcrest.

The solicitation detailed the method of selection and evaluation criteria for the proposals. First, the solicitation identified three evaluation factors to be utilized in reviewing all proposals: Mission Suitability, Cost/Price and Experience and Past Performance. Each of these factors were to be considered “approximately equal to each other in importance” in the overall evaluation. The mission suitability factor was further subdivided into the following three sub-factors and relevant weightings: Understanding the Requirements (400 points), Management Approach (500 points), and Key Personnel (100 points). The solicitation specifically provided that selection for award of the contract would be to the offeror whose proposal provided the best value to the government. The solicitation further explained that the contract may be awarded to a proposal that is higher in cost than the other proposals if the benefits of the higher priced proposal merited the additional costs.

The Source Selection Authority (SSA) appointed a Source Evaluation Committee (SEC) to conduct the evaluation of proposals. The SEC was divided into three subcommittees: Technical, Management, and Experience and Past Performance. The Technical and Management Committees were responsible for evaluating the proposals under the mission suitability factor. Mission suitability was evaluated by assessing overall strengths and weaknesses, assigning a numerical score, and determining an overall adjectival rating. The cost price factor was evaluated for cost realism based on an offeror’s proposed technical approach. Cost price was also reviewed to identify major omissions and errors, and [59]*59probable cost adjustments were made where appropriate. Finally, the experience and past performance factor was evaluated by the Experience and Past Performance Committee by using the written information provided by the offerors, the submitted client questionnaires, and other sources available to the government. This factor received an adjectival rating with associated strengths and weaknesses, but no numerical score.

After the SEC completed its initial evaluation of the proposals, the SSA selected the four most highly rated proposals in the competitive range to continue competing for the contract. Prior to issuing a request for Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs), the SEC provided the remaining bidders with their identified proposed weaknesses, questions, and any adverse information relative to their experience and past performance. NASA then issued a request for FPRs; responses were received on March 8, 1999. On March 30, 1999, the SEC met with the SSA to present its final consensus findings. The SEC’s final consensus findings assigned a higher mission suitability rating to Unified than to Gilcrest. Out of a possible 1000 points, Unified received [* * *] points and Gilcrest received [* * *] points, a difference of [* * *] points.3 As for the second evaluation factor, cost/ price, Unified’s total proposed cost after probable cost adjustments of [* * *] was [* * *] lower than Gilerest’s proposed cost of [* * *]. As for the final evaluation factor, experience and past performance, Gilcrest outscored Unified by receiving a rating of “Very Good” as compared to Unified’s rating of “Good”.

After consideration of the SEC’s findings, the SSA concluded that Gilcrest’s proposal offered the best value to NASA, and that Gilcrest should be awarded the contract. In the source selection statement, the SSA acknowledged that Unified received a higher mission suitability rating than Gilcrest, and concluded that both proposals were “essentially equal” in cost/price. The SSA explained that Unified’s slight probable cost advantage was offset by the higher overall cost confidence Gilcrest’s proposal offered NASA based on its proposed general and administrative expense (G & A) cap and its DCAA audit experience. After examining the experience and past performance factor, the SSA noted a clear distinction between Gilerest’s and Unified’s proposals in favor of Gilcrest. Finally, the SSA explained it’s rationale for the tradeoffs made in its best value analysis. The SSA concluded that as there was no material advantage between the proposals in cost/price, the significantly lower performance risk associated with Gilcrest’s proposal justified its selection over Unified’s small numerical scoring advantage.

NASA debriefed Unified on its proposal on May 7, 1999. On May 21, 1999, plaintiff filed a formal bid protest with the General Accounting Office (GAO). The GAO dismissed the protest on July 14, 1999, after concluding that the protest was untimely filed.

On July 28, 1999, plaintiff filed suit in this court.

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46 Fed. Cl. 56, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 25, 2000 WL 222249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/unified-architecture-engineering-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-2000.