--PUBLIC-PRIVATE COMPETITION FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT/INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

On June 2, 2004, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a standard competition under OMB Circular A-76 for the Information Management/Information Technology activity. Solicitation W912DR-05-R-0001 was issued on June 28, 2005 and closed on Octobe r 21, 2005. After a comparison of the costs in accordance with the OMB A76 Circular (the circular), the performance decision by the Source Selection Authority is in favor of the Governments Most Efficient Organization. The following information is provid ed in accordance with FAR 15.503(b): (1) The number of offerors solicited: 245 firms registered as prime contractors; (2) The number of proposals received: Two  The Government Tender and one private-sector offer; (3) the name and address of each offeror r eceiving an award: Most Efficient Organization, Dr. Jeffrey Holland, Agency Tender Official, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180-6199; (4) Total contract price: $447,336,253 (one-year phas e-in plus one year base period and four  one year option periods). For subcontracting possibilities, please contact Mr. Bill Colmer at contact@example.gov. As required by the circular, notification is being provided to all private sector offerors, public reimbursable sources, the Agency Tender Official, and directly affected government personnel and their representatives, in accordance with FAR 15.503. As indicated in the circular, A directly interested party (see Attachment D of the circular) ma y contest any of the following actions taken in connection with a standard competition: (1) a solicitation; (2) the cancellation of a solicitation; (3) a determination to exclude a tender or offer from a standard competition; (4) a performance decision, in cluding, but not limited to, compliance with the costing provisions of this circular and other elements in an agencys evaluation of offers and tenders; or (5) a termination or cancellation of a contract or letter of obligation if the challenge contains an allegation that the termination or cancellation is based in whole or in part on improprieties concerning the performance decision. The circular stipulates that, The pursuit of a contest by a directly interested party and the resolution of such contest by the agency shall be governed by the procedures of FAR Subpart 33.103. A Directly Interested Party is defined by the circular (Attachment D as noted above) as, The agency official who submitted the agency tender; a single individual appointed by a ma jority of directly affected employees as their agent; a private sector offeror; or the official who certifies the public reimbursable tender. FAR Subpart 33.103 addresses protests to the agency. In this case, the agency is the U.S. Army Corps of Engine ers and all protests shall be addressed to: For hand delivered protests: U.S. Army Engineer District, Baltimore, ATTN: District Counsel/CENAB-OC, Room 6420, City Crescent Building, 10 South Howard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 or For mailed protests: U .S. Army Engineer District, Baltimore, ATTN: CENAB-OC, P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715. Offerors are advised that strict timeliness requirements apply to filing of agency-level contests and Government Accountability Office (GAO) protests. Off erors should seek independent counsel in deciding whether to file an agency contests or GAO protest.