Bid Protest Minute: Corporate Affiliation Is Not Enough! GAO Clarifies When Offerors May Rely on Affiliate Experience

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently sustained a bid protest challenging an agency’s decision to credit an awardee with the experience and past performance of an affiliated company. In Battelle Memorial Institute, B-424575, B-424575.2 (Sept. 10, 2026), GAO concluded that the National Science Foundation (NSF) improperly credited KBR Services, LLC (KBR) with two contracts performed by an affiliate because KBR’s proposal did not adequately explain what resources or services the affiliate would actually contribute to performance of the new contract.