Market research conducted by the General Services Administration in support of its ETS2 procurement consisted in part of a Wikipedia article on "software as a service," asserts a newly unsealed redacted motion (.pdf) from CWTSatoTravel.

The Arlington, Va.-based company, a division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, filed a protest May 13 in the Court of Federal Claims against GSA over the terms of the ETS2 request for proposals. A similar earlier protest from the company filed with the Government Accountability Office succeeded on only one of its grounds, that of ambiguity over whether objectives listed in the solicitation were optional or required.

In response, GSA re-wrote the RFP, creating a new proposal submission date of July 6. CWTSatoTravel submitted a bid, teaming with Northrop Grumman to do so, said Marc Stec, the company's vice president of global program management.

Although GSA will begin evaluation of company proposals for what would be a 15 year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to support the GSA e-gov travel system program, the agency has agreed not to make any awards until the court has a chance to rule, said GSA spokeswoman Cara Battaglini. Stec said the court has indicated it will decide by August 14 whether to grant the company's request for a permanent injunction against the soliciation as currently written.

CWTSatoTravel's complaint shows it making continuing to contest the solicitation over whether, among other things, it imposes excessive risk on offerors since the solicitation would prevent contractors from seeking an equitable adjustment for work performed in reaction to future changes to travel regulations and policy, technology standards, security requirements, mobile platforms, and other events beyond their control.

In the motion's statement of relevant facts, the company asserts that GSA failed to conduct adequate market research. It consisted, the motion states, of the Wikipedia article, a series of interviews on the subject of the difference between software customization and configuration with ETS1 contractors, prospective offerors and federal officials, and several articles discussing such things as trends in corporate travel management and best practices for electronic travel systems.

But in particular, the research "does not demonstrate that it is a commercial practice for travel management companies to agree to permit a customer to order unlimited changes over the life of a 15 year contract without any compensation," the motion states.

For more:
- download CWTSatoTravel's request for permanent injunctive relief (.pdf)
- download the company's COFC bid protest (.pdf)

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ETS2 contract holder files against GSA, in GAO bid protest follow up
GAO upholds e-Gov Travel Service solicitation protest