Protest Sustained Over Sole-Source Award The State Department improperly awarded a sole-source contract without exploring alternatives, the Government Accountability Office has ruled. GAO sustained a protest over the $10 million award to RGII Technologies Inc. for support of the department’s worldwide budget and planning software systems. State said RGII developed the proprietary software under a previous contract and had the exclusive right to use it. The protestor, eFedBudget Corp., said State refused to consider any alternatives to RGII’s software. In sustaining the protest, GAO said State should have explored the possibility of acquiring a license to use RGII’s software before awarding a sole-source contract. “[T]he agency was required to consider whether the costs associated with a purchase of additional license rights, or some other alternative, outweigh the anticipated benefits of competition,” GAO said. The case is Matter of: eFedBudget Corp., File: B-298627.