Centuria Corporation (B-422245.6)

You should care.

Category: FAR 16.5, discussions vs. interchanges, final proposal revisions (FPRs)

Date: 1 August 2025

URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-422245.6

Centuria challenged an Air Force task order award under a VETS II fair opportunity proposal request (FOPR), arguing USAF held discussions with the awardee without giving Centuria a chance to submit a final proposal revision. GAO denied the protest. In a FAR 16.505 fair‑opportunity procurement, the agency may use streamlined interchanges, and Part 15’s requirement to solicit FPRs, under FAR 15.307(b), does not apply unless the solicitation or process requires it. Here, the FOPR expressly said FPRs would not be requested. The Air Force’s targeted interchanges on CMMI certification during corrective action were permissible and did not trigger a duty to reopen for revised prices.

The protest was denied. Under FAR 16.505, subpart 15.3 procedures do not apply. Because the FOPR explicitly stated “FPRs will not be requested,” limited interchanges on a certification issue did not require reopening pricing or inviting final revisions.

Digest

Protest that the agency conducted discussions with the awardee without affording the protester an opportunity to submit a final revised proposal in a procurement using the procedures at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 16 is denied where neither FAR part 16 nor the terms of the solicitation required the submission of written proposal revisions.