The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has rejected a protest from Florida-based Narcorps Specialties LLC, challenging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) award of a $36 million task order for training support services. The GAO determined that DHS did not need to evaluate the realism of price offers, citing that the agency’s solicitation did not include language requiring such a review.
The task order, announced on March 28, 2025, pertains to role player support services for various DHS programs, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Air Marshal Service, Federal Flight Deck Officer recurrent training, and the TSA Canine Training Center.
According to the GAO’s decision, DHS issued a solicitation on April 5, 2024, for the task order, which was anticipated to include a hybrid contract with time-and-materials and fixed-price line items for a one-year base period and four one-year options. DHS received quotations from both Narcorps and Vertical Jobs Inc. by the May 13, 2024, due date.
On August 22, 2024, DHS selected Vertical Jobs for the task order. Narcorps filed a protest, questioning the evaluation of Vertical Jobs’ quotation. Following this protest, DHS canceled the task order, amended the solicitation, and requested revised quotations. After evaluating the new bids, DHS again selected Vertical Jobs for the task order on December 26, 2024.
Narcorps filed a second protest, arguing that Vertical Jobs’ price was unrealistically low and lacked the technical understanding required by the solicitation. The company also claimed that DHS should have eliminated Vertical Jobs from the competition due to its alleged inadequate past performance. However, the GAO ruled that agencies are not required to evaluate price realism unless explicitly stated in the solicitation. The GAO also upheld DHS’ evaluation of Vertical Jobs’ past performance, noting that the company had relevant experience, including a five-year blanket purchase agreement for similar role-playing services with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The GAO concluded that Narcorps’ protest was without merit and dismissed the claim that DHS had failed to adequately document its technical evaluation of Vertical Jobs’ quotation.
Representatives for DHS and Vertical Jobs did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Narcorps’ legal counsel declined to comment.
This decision is part of the matter titled NARCORPS Specialties LLC, file numbers B-422886.2 and B-422886.3 before the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
