Library/GAO decisions/30 briefed
GAO protest decisions, briefed
30 published bid protest decisions, each laid out the same way: what was bought, what the protester argued, what the agency said, what decided it and what it means for the file. The same cases the daily game Protest! plays.
- GAO, fiscal year 2025:
- 1,688 cases filed
- 380 decided on the merits
- 53 sustained (14%)
- 52% effectiveness rate
- Annual report →
Sustained
12- Unreasonably short time to respond to amendmentsEffective Communication Strategies, LLC · B-423993 · 18 Feb 2026 · Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
- Past performance credited to the awardee for contracts it did not performEnviremedial Services, Inc. · B-423552 · 28 Aug 2025 · Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
- Impaired objectivity organizational conflict of interestDirectViz Solutions, LLC · B-423366 · 11 Jun 2025 · Department of the Army
- Professional employee compensation below incumbent rates (FAR 52.222-46)SMS Data Products Group, Inc. · B-423197 · 4 Mar 2025 · Department of the Air Force
- Lowest-price technically acceptable method used without meeting the DFARS criteriaThe Mission Essential Group, LLC · B-422698.2 · 8 Jan 2025 · Department of the Air Force
- Exclusion based on a requirement not in the solicitation (SAM registration lapse)Maxim Healthcare Staffing Services, Inc. · B-422389.2 · 21 Aug 2024 · Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Price realism analysis ignored the offeror's technical approachCriterion Corporation · B-422309 · 16 Apr 2024 · Department of the Air Force
- Cost realism: indirect rates accepted on the offeror's own growth projectionsTRAX International Corporation · B-420361.7 · 28 Jun 2023 · Department of the Army
- Scope of corrective action: revisions limited to cost proposalsKupono Government Services, LLC; Akima Systems Engineering, LLC · B-421392.9 · 5 Jun 2023 · Department of Energy
- Tradeoff that treated identical adjectival ratings as technical equalityCharDonnay Dialysis, LLC · B-420910 · 27 Oct 2022 · Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
- Key personnel unavailability known before awardSehlke Consulting, LLC · B-420538 · 18 May 2022 · National Reconnaissance Office (Department of Defense)
- Exchanges that became discussions; discussions not meaningfulAcademy Leadership, LLC · B-419705.2 · 30 Sep 2021 · Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Denied
11- Reasonableness and scope of corrective actionDCS Corporation · B-423820.6 · 29 Jul 2026 · Department of the Army
- Evaluation error without competitive prejudiceHighlight Technologies, Inc. · B-424060.2 · 22 May 2026 · General Services Administration, Office of the Chief Information Officer
- Meaningful discussions and weaknesses that are not significantCenterline Logistics Corporation · B-423838 · 7 Jan 2026 · Department of Defense, U.S. Transportation Command
- Unfair competitive advantage from hiring former government officials; hard factsPeraton Inc. · B-423639 · 17 Sep 2025 · General Services Administration (for U.S. Strategic Command)
- Offeror's burden to submit a complete, adequately written proposalQED Systems, LLC · B-423634 · 16 Sep 2025 · Department of the Army, Army Materiel Command
- Unstated evaluation criteriaPond Security Service GmbH · B-423444 · 16 Jul 2025 · Department of State
- Disparate treatmentTiber Creek Consulting, Inc. · B-422925 · 18 Dec 2024 · Department of the Army, Army Materiel Command
- Price realism not provided for in a fixed-price solicitationCW Government Travel, Inc. · B-422714 · 27 Sep 2024 · General Services Administration
- Incumbent advantage is not an unfair advantageActive Deployment Systems, LLC · B-422424 · 17 Jun 2024 · Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Late electronic submission; government control exceptionGuidehouse Inc. · B-422115.2 · 19 Jan 2024 · National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense)
- Bias allegations without convincing proofTexas Waste Company, LLC · B-421363.2 · 8 Nov 2023 · Department of Veterans Affairs
Dismissed
7- Untimely challenge to solicitation terms; constructive noticeProSource360 Consulting Services, Inc. · B-424386 · 4 Jun 2026 · Department of the Army
- Untimely post-award protest: no required debriefing under FAR part 13ASG Solutions Corporation d/b/a American Systems Group · B-424053 · 16 Jan 2026 · Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command
- Not an interested party: unchallenged intervening biddersAmbulance Management Services, Ltd. d/b/a Trans-Care Ambulance · B-423804 · 2 Dec 2025 · Department of Veterans Affairs
- DoD task order below the $35 million jurisdictional thresholdIntegral Federal, Inc. · B-423672 · 1 Aug 2025 · Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command--Aberdeen Proving Ground
- Challenge to an affirmative responsibility determinationNewt Marine Service · B-422968 · 4 Nov 2024 · Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
- Award of an other transaction agreement (Funded Space Act Agreement)Lunar Resources, Inc. · B-421936 · 14 Nov 2023 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Decision not to exercise BPA options is contract administrationAPR Staffing · B-419667 · 30 Mar 2021 · Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration
Facts are condensed from each published decision and every quote is verbatim; the takeaways are ours. Each page links the decision at GAO.