Two GAO Protests Still Pending
Mike Nartker
WC Monitor
10/31/2014
Navarro Research and Engineering has survived the first challenge filed over its win of the new Nevada National Security Site environmental programs services contract, with the Small Business Administration having determined that Navarro did meet the size standard used for the small business set-aside procurement. INTERA, one of the unsuccessful bidders on the new contract, had filed the challenge asking the SBA to determine if Navarro met the 500 employee standard used for the procurement. “On Oct. 23rd, the SBA determined that Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc. has fewer employees than the applicable size standard, and is therefore a small business for the size standard of 500 employees,” an SBA spokeswoman said this week in a written response.
Navarro declined to comment on the SBA’s determination this week. INTERA President and CEO Marsh Lavenue also largely declined to comment this week, though he did say his company is considering filing an appeal with the SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals. “We are evaluating our options and have not made a decision yet,” Lavenue said in a written response.
In late September, the National Nuclear Security Administration announced that the Navarro-led team, which also includes Leidos and HydroGeoLogic , was the winner of the new NNSS environmental contract. The contract has been valued at $59 million for performance over a one-year base period with four one-year option periods. INTERA had been teamed with Navarro on the previous NNSS environmental program services contract, but chose to lead its own bid for the recompete. Both INTERA and Portage have also filed protests with the Government Accountability Office over Navarro’s win, which are still pending.
