What type of decision can be protested in a federal acquisition process?

In the federal acquisition process, an award decision refers to the determination made by the contracting officer regarding which bidder will receive the contract. This aspect is fundamental to the competitive bidding process, where multiple proposals are evaluated based on established criteria. Since award decisions directly influence which vendor or contractor is selected to fulfill the government’s requirements, they are subject to protest. This allows disappointed bidders to challenge the award if they believe there were errors in the evaluation process or if the selection did not adhere to the solicitation's terms.

On the other hand, the other choices fall outside the scope of protestable decisions. Subcontractor selections, while important in the contractor's performance, are typically internal decisions made by the prime contractor and do not involve the federal government directly. The educational qualifications of offerors might be assessed during the evaluation process, but it is not an award decision itself and is not usually a subject of protest if the overall award decision is valid. Similarly, amenities or features provided in proposals may be factors in the evaluation, but they are part of the broader context rather than a standalone decision that can be protested. Thus, the focus on award decisions is critical, as they are the definitive actions that can be legally contested in the procurement process.