What is a size protest and how does it work?
A size protest challenges whether the apparent awardee qualifies as a small business under the applicable size standard. Any interested party (usually a competing offeror) can file a size protest with the contracting officer within five business days of notification of the apparent award. The CO forwards the protest to the SBA Area Office, which investigates and issues a determination. If the firm is found to be other-than-small, it loses the award.
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