In its May 2016 decision in Federal Builders, LLC-The James R. Belk Trust, the GAO awarded over $250,000 in costs against the U.S. federal government in relation to a successful bid protest. The GAO awarded the complainant $49,000 in bid preparation costs, $183,000 in bid protest legal fees, $7,800 in staff time and $22,000 for the costs of pursuing its reimbursement claim. In coming to its decision, the GAO noted that the “lengthy delay in the agency’s initial offer of settlement of the legal fees and the disparity between the offer and what the agency later agreed should be reimbursed” supported its decision on the costs award.
