Opinion ID: 1979789
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statutory Time Requirements for Bid Protests

Text: The CAB is the exclusive hearing tribunal for protests of District of Columbia government contract solicitations and awards by any actual or prospective bidder or offeror, or a contractor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award. . . . D.C.Code § 2-309.03(a) (2001); see also District of Columbia v. Group Ins. Admin., 633 A.2d 2, 15 (D.C. 1993) ([W]e do not question the CAB's role as `exclusive hearing tribunal' for all bid protests.). By law, such protests are subject to strict time limits. Bid protests based on alleged improprieties in a solicitation which are apparent prior to bid opening or the time set for receipt of initial proposals must be filed before those respective events occur. D.C.Code § 2-309.08(b)(1). All other bid protests shall be filed not later than 10 business days after the basis of protest is known or should have been known, whichever is earlier. Id. § 2-309.08(b)(2). [A]lleged improprieties must be quickly asserted and expeditiously resolved so that the contract can be awarded and the job begun. Jones & Artis Constr. Co., 549 A.2d at 319. [7] The CAB has construed the statute to mean that it is without jurisdiction to decide matters that are filed beyond the 10-day period. Protest of Rodgers Bros. Custodial Servs., Inc., CAB No. P-565, 46 D.C.Reg. 8564, 8566 (Feb. 17, 1999). We agree that the filing deadline is jurisdictional and not subject to waiver. The statutory ten-day rule applies to each independent protest ground. [T]he bid protest regulations do not contemplate the piecemeal presentation of arguments or information relating to a protest, and it is incumbent on the protestor raising one basis of protest to diligently pursue information pertinent to the protest as well as information that reasonably would be expected to reveal additional bases for the protest. Protest of Koba Assocs., Inc., CAB No. P-265, 40 D.C.Reg. 4440, 4453 (Jul. 6, 1992) (citation omitted). Following the Comptroller General's interpretation of the federal counterpart to D.C.Code § 2-309.08(b)(2), the CAB has stated that [g]enerally, the timeliness of . . . additional bases of protest raised after the filing of a timely initial protest depends upon the relationship that the later-raised bases bear to the initial protest. . . . Where the later bases present new and independent grounds for protest, they must independently satisfy our timeliness requirements. Conversely, where the later contentions merely provide additional support for an earlier timely raised objection, we consider these additional arguments. Protest of Rodgers Bros. Custodial Servs., Inc., supra (citations omitted). The CAB has applied the rule against piecemeal presentation of protest grounds rigorously. In Rodgers Bros., for instance, the initial protest of an emergency waste disposal contract award charged that the contracting officer lacked a reasonable basis to find the protestor non-responsible for having violated the Solid Waste Facility Permit Act while disregarding a similar violation on the part of the successful bidder. The protestor later added an allegation that the dissimilar treatment demonstrated the contracting officer's bad faith. Although, arguably, the bad faith allegation merely provide[d] additional support for the earlier claim of unreasonable dissimilar treatment, the CAB sua sponte rejected the bad faith charge as a new and independent ground of protest that was untimely raised. See also Koba Assocs., supra. The ten-day clock begins to run from the date on which the basis of protest is known or should have been known, whichever is earlier.  D.C.Code § 2-309.08(b)(2) (emphasis added). [A] protestor cannot sit idly by while awaiting information that provides the basis for its protest, but instead must diligently pursue the information within a reasonable time. Matter of Thomas May Constr. Co., supra, at . Where there is a public bid opening, . . . it is incumbent upon bidders to act promptly after bid opening to obtain information on the bids received, including copies of the bids themselves if necessary, so that upon receipt of notice of award the bidders will be aware of any alleged defect in the winning bid that would provide a basis for protest. Id.