Tactical Engineering - Analysis, Inc. (B-423731)
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Categories: Cost realism, best value tradeoff
Date: 5 December 2025
URL: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-423731
Tactical Engineering protests the issuance of a Seaport NxG task order to TMC Technologies of West Virginia for Navy track management services. The source selection produced a stark contrast:
- Tactical was rated outstanding (technical) with satisfactory confidence (past performance) at an evaluated cost of $112.9 million;
- TMC was rated marginal (technical) with limited confidence (past performance) at $85.7 million.
- The SSA selected TMC, concluding that Tactical's technical superiority was not worth the approximately $27 million cost premium.
Tactical challenged the Navy's cost realism analysis and the best-value tradeoff decision. On cost realism, GAO found the agency's analysis was reasonably documented and consistent with the solicitation. On the tradeoff, GAO found the SSA performed a documented qualitative comparison and reasonably concluded the cost differential did not justify the higher-rated proposal.
The protest is denied.
Digest
- Protest challenging cost realism analysis is denied where the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation.
- Protest that the agency failed to conduct a proper best-value tradeoff is denied where the selection decision was reasonable and adequately documented.
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