GAO sustained 15 percent of bid protests in FY-18

The Government Accountability Office sustained 15 percent of all contract bid protests in fiscal year 2018, down from 17 percent in FY-17 and 23 percent in FY-16, according to an annual report from the watchdog agency.

"Our review shows that the most prevalent reasons for sustaining protests during the 2018 fiscal year were: (1) unreasonable technical evaluation; (2) unreasonable cost or price evaluation; (3) flawed selection decision," the GAO report reads. "It is important to note that a significant number of protests filed with our office do not reach a decision on the merits because agencies voluntarily take corrective action in response to the protest rather than defend the protest on the merits. Agencies need not, and do not, report any of the myriad reasons they decide to take voluntary corrective action."

During FY-18, GAO received 2,607 cases in FY-18, a less than 1 percent increase from FY-17.

"We closed 2,642 cases during the fiscal year, 2,505 protests, 53 cost claims, and 84 requests for reconsideration," GAO states. "Of the 2,642 cases closed, 356 were attributable to GAO’s bid protest jurisdiction over task orders."