SRM Group, LLC (B-423695)

You should not care.

Categories: Past performance, subcontractor

Date: 25 September 2025

URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-423695

SRM Group, the ten-year incumbent, protests the award of a contract to BryMak Associates for lodging and transportation services at the National Guard Professional Education Center at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. The SDVOSB set-aside RFP contemplated award on a best value tradeoff basis. Both offerors received ratings of substantial confidence for past performance and good for the technical factor, but BryMak's price of $22.3 million was approximately 7.8 percent lower than SRM Group's $24.1 million.

SRM Group challenges the relevance of two of BryMak's past performance references because the underlying contracts were performed under a different NAICS code (561720, janitorial services) than the RFP's NAICS code (561210, facility support services). GAO found the RFP defined relevant past performance as services "similar to" the NAICS code, not contracts performed under the same code. The agency's detailed comparison of the referenced work to the solicitation's requirements was reasonable. SRM Group also argued a subcontractor reference with only three weeks of performance was insufficient. GAO found the agency assessed quality based on aggregated CPARS records, not the single short-duration reference alone.

The protest is denied. Incumbent status does not entitle an offeror to higher past performance ratings or a presumption of superiority.

Digest

1. Protest challenging the evaluation of the awardee's past performance is denied where the agency's evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation.
2. Protest that the agency performed a flawed best-value determination is denied where the agency's tradeoff was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation.