Army's $50B MAPS vehicle hit with second protest

More complaints about perceived ambiguities surrounding the Army’s massive MAPS contract have led a second company to file a protest challenging the procurement.

Intelligence Consulting Enterprise Solutions has joined MetroStar Systems with objections to how the Army is managing its potential 10-year, $50 billion Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services vehicle.

Complaints about the contract – where proposals are due Friday – have focused on a lack of transparency and inadequate responses to industry questions. The protesters claim these responses create ambiguity and risk for potential bidders.

In its protest, Intelligence Consulting complains about how the Army has changed the solicitation number with each amendment.

Intelligence Consulting also claims that the Army has failed to answer over 200 questions submitted by industry. For many of the questions the Army does answer, the responses are not seen as meaningful.

A typical response for nearly 700 questions has been along the lines of “the solicitation accurately reflects the government’s needs in a manner that maximizes competition and adheres to all applicable laws without being unduly restrictive.”

The solicitation also requires submission of documentation for classified work, but there is no mechanism to securely submit that documentation.

Intelligence Consulting filed its protest May 5 and the Government Accountability Office is due to make its ruling by Aug. 13.

The MetroStar protest has a decision deadline of Aug. 3.

While the protests will not delay the Friday due date for proposals, the Army cannot make award decisions until GAO rules on the protests.