Unequal Treatment Claim Rejected
Strategic Resources also argued it was judged more harshly than 360 Patriot on how each would communicate during contract performance. The GAO sided with the Army’s view that Strategic Resources proposed contacting government staff beyond the contracting officer regarding performance concerns, which conflicted with the solicitation’s stated process.
By contrast, the GAO said the record supported the Army’s conclusion that 360 Patriot’s approach did not raise the same issue, undercutting Strategic Resources’ claim that both proposals contained an “indistinguishable” feature.
Wage Compliance Allegations Dismissed
The protester also pointed to online job postings to argue that 360 Patriot might not follow required wage standards for the work. The GAO said those postings did not amount to reliable evidence that the awardee would disregard service contract labor rules, and therefore did not obligate the Army to revisit pricing or reject the proposal.
The GAO characterized the claim as speculative and said the Army could reasonably rely on the awardee’s proposed rates rather than assumptions about future conduct.
