(a) Notice and order. If the Judge determines that the protest is timely, sufficiently specific, and based upon protestable allegations, the Judge will issue a notice and order, notifying the protester, the protested concern, the Director, Office of Government Contracting (D/GC), SBA Counsel, and, if applicable, the contracting officer of the date OHA received the protest, and order a due date for responses.

(b) Dismissal of protest. If the Judge determines that the protest is premature, untimely, nonspecific, or is based on non-protestable allegations, the Judge will dismiss the protest and will send the contracting officer, D/GC, SBA's Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law, and the protester a notice of dismissal, citing the reason(s) for the dismissal. The dismissal is a final agency action.

(c) Transmission of the case file. Upon receipt of a notice and order, the D/GC must deliver to OHA the entire case file relating to the protested concern's inclusion in the certification database. The notice and order will establish the timetable for transmitting the case file to OHA. The D/GC must certify and authenticate that the case file, to the best of his/her knowledge, is a true and correct copy of the case file.

(d) Protective order. A protester seeking access to the SBA case file must file a timely request for a protective order under § 134.205. Except for good cause shown, a protester must request a protective order within five days of filing the protest. Even after issuance of a protective order, OHA will not disclose income tax returns or privileged information.

(e) Supplemental allegations. If, after viewing documents in the SBA case file for the first time under a protective order, a protester wishes to supplement its protest with additional argument, the protester may do so. Any such supplement is due at OHA no later than 15 days from the date the protester receives or reviews the SBA case file.

(f) Response—(1) Timing. The protested concern, the D/GC, the contracting officer, and any other interested party (see § 134.1002(b)) may respond to the protest and supplemental protest, if one is filed. The response is due no later than 15 days from the date the protest or supplemental protest was filed with OHA. The record closes the date the final response is due.

(2) Service. The respondent must serve its response upon the protester or its counsel and upon each of the persons identified in the certificate of service attached to the notice and order or, if a protective order is issued, in accordance with the terms of the protective order.

(3) Reply to a response. No reply to a response will be permitted unless the Judge directs otherwise.

(g) Basis for decision. The decision will be based primarily on the case file and information provided by the protester, the protested concern, and any other parties. However, the Judge may investigate issues beyond those raised in the protest and may use other information or make requests for additional information to the protester, the protested concern, or SBA.

(h) Award of contract. The contracting officer may award a contract before the Judge issues a decision only if the contracting officer determines that an award must be made to protect the public interest and notifies the Judge and D/GC in writing of such determination. Notwithstanding such a determination, the provisions of paragraph (j) of this section shall apply to the procurement in question.

(i) Decision. OHA will serve a copy of the written decision on each party, or, if represented by counsel, on its counsel. The decision is considered the final agency action, and it becomes effective upon issuance.

(j) Effect of decision. (1) A contracting officer may award a contract to a protested concern after the Judge has determined either that the protested concern is eligible for inclusion in SBA's certification database or has dismissed all protests against it.

(2) A contracting officer shall not award a contract to a protested concern that the Judge has determined is not an eligible VOSB or SDVOSB. If the contract has already been awarded, the contracting officer shall terminate the contract, unless the contracting officer has made a written determination that termination is not in the best interests of the Government. However, the contracting officer shall not exercise any options or award further task or delivery orders.

(3) The contracting officer must update the Federal Procurement Data System (or successor system) and other procurement reporting databases to reflect the Judge's decision.

(4) If the Judge finds the protested concern is not an eligible VOSB or SDVOSB, the D/GC must immediately remove the protested concern from the certification database.

(5) A concern found to be ineligible may not submit an offer on a future VOSB or SDVOSB procurement until the protested concern reapplies to the Veteran Small Business Certification Program and has been designated by SBA as a VOSB or SDVOSB into the certification database.