CFC Faults Agency for Circumventing Protests

In Cal. Ind. Facilities Resources, Inc. v. U.S., the Court of Federal Claims granted a protester’s request for declaratory relief regarding the illegality of the Army’s acquisition method used in a sole-source award of a contract for personnel shelter, even though the contract had been fully performed. Noting that “the action complained of is capable of repetition, yet might again evade review,” the CFC held that the agency’s practice of circumventing competitive procedures without proper justification, combined with what the court deemed an intentional effort to delay the publication of the sole-source notification until after the completion of performance, was unlawful.