Recent bid protest decision from the Government Accountability Office affirm that when making best value determinations agencies should evaluate the actual merits of contract proposals rather than relying on ratings assigned to those proposals. These rulings ought to be considered by contractors not only when assessing a possible bid protest but also when preparing proposals. 

Protest Rulings

In CyberData Technologies, Inc. B-417084, February 6, 2019, 2019 CPD 34, the GAO considered a protest that the agency failed to look behind the adjectival ratings in making its selection decision. An RFQ was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration providing that a task order would be issued for weather and climate computing infrastructure services. The agency indicated the task order would be awarded to the vendor whose quotation represented the best value to the government, considering technical approach, corporate experience, and price. 

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