Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services, Inc. (B-423376; B-423376.2; B-423376.3)

You should not care.

Category: Technical evaluation, process issue, past performance, IDIQ

Date: 12 June 2025

URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-423376%2Cb-423376.2%2Cb-423376.3

Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services protested the the Navy’s award of a task order under an RFQ for educational and logistical support services to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Kratos argued that the Navy misevaluated both its own and the awardee Salient CRGT’s technical approaches and past performance, applied evaluation factors unequally, and made an unreasonable best value determination by selecting a higher cost offeror. Nothing in the protest raised precedent-shifting or novel issues; the decision confirms longstanding deference to reasonable agency technical judgments under FAR Part 16.505 competitions and emphasizes the protester’s duty to submit a clear, well-written quotation.

The protest was denied in full. This case is a textbook example of GAO’s reluctance to substitute its judgment for the agency in technical evaluations.

Digest

Protest that agency misevaluated quotations and made an unreasonable source selection decision to issue task order to higher-rated and higher-cost vendor is denied where the record shows the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with law, regulation, and the terms of the solicitation.\