GAO Bid Protests: Small Business Primer

After an award is lost there is little time to decide whether to file a bid protest. A disappointed bidder has the difficult task of quickly determining whether there is any chance of success in protesting the award and determining which forum is best. Bid protests can be filed either with a

procuring agency, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”), or with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”). Each forum presents contractors with unique deadlines and procedures that require careful and expedient consideration. This webinar will provide contractors with a fundamental understanding of which arguments can succeed and how to identify those arguments quickly. 

To make an informed decision, government contractors must first understand what is involved in the process of seeking a remedy at GAO. Despite the shortened timeframe by which a contractor must act, the decision to file a protest must be carefully considered to fully analyze the downsides and potential benefits. While each disputed contract presents unique arguments, GAO has a demonstrated record of sustaining protests where contractors advocate certain procedural issues in the procurement. This webinar will focus on how to identify those issues quickly. Among the questions to be answered are those relating to: business concerns, risks, grounds for protest, protest process, and the relative likelihood of success.

This webinar is tailored to government contractors who must assess the merits of protesting an award without, or prior to, counsel from a bid protest attorney.