PTC Solutions JV, LLC (B-422576.3, B-422576.4)

You should not care.

Category: Technical evaluation, OEM, risk

Date: 24 July 2025

URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-422576.3%2Cb-422576.4

PTC Solutions JV, LLC, protested the US Air Force’s award of a delivery order to Pinnacle Solutions, LLC under the Training Systems Acquisition IV IDIQ contract for the T-7A aircraft Maintenance Training System (MTS). PTC challenged various elements of the Air Force’s technical evaluation and its best value tradeoff determination, arguing the evaluators unreasonably assigned moderate risks based on PTC’s reliance on the T-7A OEM (original equipment manufacturer), use of proprietary data and test articles, approach to software reuse, and failure to sufficiently document government involvement.

Reliance on the T-7A aircraft OEM: GAO found the Air Force reasonably concluded that PTC’s heavy dependence on the OEM introduced risk, especially because PTC failed to propose viable alternatives should the OEM did not perform as anticipated. The evaluators were not persuaded by PTC’s assertion that its access agreements mitigated these concerns.

Reuse of T-7A software: The Air Force identified a moderate risk because PTC’s proposal appeared to underestimate the complexity and effort required to adapt existing OEM software for the MTS. GAO found the risk assessment reasonable.

Use of the static test article: GAO found reasonable the Air Force’s assessment that PTC provided contradictory information regarding its need for the T-7A static test article, which could lead to cost and schedule risk if access became an issue.

GAO determined the Air Force was justified in downgrading PTC for failing to clearly detail the government’s role and not including agency tasks with specific durations, which was required by the evaluation criteria. Its best value tradeoff was adequately documented and rational, appropriately weighing technical superiority and lower risk against price.

The protest was denied.

Digest

Protest challenging the agency's technical evaluation and its best-value tradeoff decision is denied where the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the stated evaluation criteria.