VA to reevaluate T4 protester’s bid

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VA to reevaluate T4 protester’s bid

The Court of Federal Claims rules in VA\'s favor on five of six counts. But VA must relook at Standard Communications\' bid to see if it meets the solicitation\...

Jason Miller@jmillerWFED

November 10, 2011 5:23 pm

2 min read

The Veterans Affairs Department won five of the six protest counts made by Standard Communications of the $12 billion T4 multiple award contract. But the one protest area which Standard won could give the company a place on the contract.

Cy Alba, a lawyer with the firm of Piliero and Mazza, said the judge ruled in favor of his client, Standard Communications, contending that VA’s analysis of best value was insufficient.

The Court of Federal Claims ruled Wednesday, but the specifics will not be public until Nov. 21.

“The count we won on requires them to do a best value analysis and there was some suggestion that the agency wouldn’t take much time to do that because of price differences between us and other awardees,” Alba said. “We are a little upset that the agency thought it would be a quick process. If they were going to do it right, they could do a full best value analysis. If VA does a best value analysis and determines Standard is best value, then VA would make award to Standard.”

Alba said the company was pleased the judge ruled in their favor on the one point, but disappointed he denied the protest on the other issues.

VA spokeswoman Josephine Schuda said, “Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment at this time.”

VA awarded spots to 15 companies in July under the Transformation 21 Total Technology (T4) contract. Under the five-year contract, VA can choose from a broad range of IT telecommunication services, including program management and strategy planning, systems and software engineering, cybersecurity, operation and maintenance and training.

VA still faces two more protests of T4. IBM is awaiting the judge’s decision on its post-award protest. And Med Trends filed a task order protest Oct. 27 under the T4 contract. Med Trends claims VA should not have used T4 and set the solicitation aside for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

The competitive portion of the T4 contract has been on hold by VA during the protest. But Alba said VA has been making non-competitive awards.

The rest of Standards’ claims were dismissed by the judge, saying it was agency discretion to make the decisions VA did, Alba said.

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