On January 25, 2010, the United States Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) released its annual compilation of bid protest statistics for the 2009 fiscal year. The statistics revealed that contractors filed 1,989 protests, a 20% increase from the prior fiscal year, and that protesting proved effective. In total, protestors obtained favorable relief in 45% of the protests. The increase in protests is attributable to GAO’s recently expanded bid protest jurisdiction and the weak economy experienced in 2009, which likely caused contractors to pursue government awards.
Alternative dispute resolution also played a more significant role in this past year’s protests, with 149 protests being referred to ADR, nearly double the amount in 2008. Of the 149 protests that were referred to ADR, 93% were resolved without a formal GAO decision.
You can view the GAO’s complete report on 2009 bid protest statistics at: