The Army Administrative Appeals Process Authority has denied an appeal submitted by Occupations Inc., a Middletown, N.Y., company that bid against the government in the commercial activity study competition for the U.S. Military Academy’s custodial services last fall.

The government’s most efficient organization bid approximately $1 million less than Occupations Inc. and was named the tentative competition winner Nov. 16.

There are provisions in the A-76 program that allow "interested parties" -- contractors, government employees and organizations representing them -- to use the appeal process to "identify and correct errors made in the development of the cost comparison."

Occupations Inc. cited an overall cost comparison error as well as employee turnover and supply-costing issues in their appeal. Specifically, the company challenged the academy’s ability to keep custodial positions filled and the costs of some supplies needed to fulfill the requirements of the Performance Work Statement.

According to Kathy Cunningham, a resource management specialist in the USMA Directorate of Resource Management, a joint effort between USMA’s DRM, civilian personnel, contracting and public works was instrumental in answering the appeal.

"Each agency submitted responses to certain aspects of the appeal and we compiled those responses into a memorandum for the appeals board," she explained.

USMA contracting officer Dan Hamilton said Occupations Inc. now has 10 working days to protest the decision to the Government Accounting Office. A final competition decision will not be made until the results of any protest are known.

"Occupations received the decision Tuesday and that’s when the 10 working-day period began," he added.

Custodial services come under the direction of the USMA Directorate of Housing and Public Works. DHPW officials said they are continuing to transition to the MEO.

"We hope to have the transition complete by June," officials explained.