Small business protests GPO's smart-card printing contract

Evans Security Solutions, a small business, is protesting the Government Printing Office’s award to General Dynamics of a multimillion-dollar contract for smart-card printing services. Reggie Evans, owner of the company, filed two protests, one with the Government Accountability Office and another with GPO’s head of procurement, stating that the agency did not evaluate proposals properly and failed to offer a debriefing as required by GPO’s procurement regulations. GPO also denied Evans’ request to place a stay on the contract. “We put forth what we thought was a great proposal and technical approach to [Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12] effort,” Evans said. “They said they awarded the contract to General Dynamics because it was in the best interest of the government.” GPO gave General Dynamics a five-year, $32.2 million contract for electronic card counters and printers for smart-card personalization and personal identification numbers, software and computer systems for processing customer data for card issuance, and integration and consulting services to support acquisitions. Evans said his bid was $25,000 less than General Dynamics’ in the first two years and included plans to give the contract back to GPO after setting up the program, which would save the government about $16 million, while providing similar services with approved HSPD-12 teammates.GPO offered Evans Security Solutions a debriefing after Evans filed the two protests. “It is the policy of GPO to not comment on pending litigation,” agency spokesman Gary Somerset said. General Dynamics has filed a notice of intervention of the protest with GAO. “If I would have had a debriefing to understand why they chose General Dynamics, then I might be satisfied,” Evans said.