I never experienced this scenario before so I thought it I would run by the experts. Current Prime Contractor has a relative new IDIQ under which task orders are competed, Prime has a team of subcontractors (mainly small businesses). One of the small business team members has a prime contract also performing similar work (their prime was awarded as 8a set aside & is about to end).
A task order RFP is issued under the current Prime contract, and it is for the work currently being performed by the small business sub. (i.e. the incumbent whose prime is ending in the near future). The small business logs a protest the with Government that their prime work shouldn't be competed under another prime vehicle (regardless, of whether they can potentially compete for it as a sub.). However, the subcontractor submits a bid as a sub to current prime while simultaneously protesting the RFP.
Question: Doesn't it look bad for a prime if a subcontractor (team member) logs a protest? and submits a bid simultaneously ?. Does the sub have to do submit a protest through a prime or not? My thinking is if it is the small business' incumbency work, then they should have a pretty good chance of winning again as a sub. anyway. It seems like the Government contracts shop wouldn't hold this prime and sub in a very good light moving forward. Any thoughts?