January 10, 2017
2017 NDAA Requires Report On Bid Protest Impact At DoD
Source: SmallGovCon, Matthew Schoonover, December 14, 2016
We’ve been covering many of the important changes to federal contracting promised as a result of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. But among the most consequential might be a provision that requires DoD to compile a report that analyzes the impacts of the current bid protest system on DoD acquisitions. This report could ultimately form the basis for potential significant changes to the protest system in future years.
As it was originally working through Congress, some versions of the 2017 NDAA included significant revisions to the bid protest system. Among these revisions were attempts to limit protests filed by incumbent contractors. But rather than adopting these significant changes now, Congress has taken a more measured approach: it is instead requiring DoD to study the bid protest system to determine its efficacy going forward.
Section 885 of the 2017 NDAA requires DoD to contract with a not-for-profit entity or a federally funded research and development center “to carry out a comprehensive study on the prevalence and impact of bid protests on Department of Defense acquisitions, including protests filed with contracting agencies, the Government Accountability Office, and the Court of Federal Claims.” This report, moreover, is to be detailed—the 2017 NDAA includes fourteen elements that must be included, ranging from DoD’s perceptions of the bid protest system and its effects on the structure of solicitations, to impacts on a potential offeror’s thought processes when it comes to bidding on a solicitation. READ MORE….
The National Defense Authorization Act has been passed by the House and Senate. Contact your nearest PTAC to learn about this Act and how it might affect your business.
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