# GAO Sustains El Segundo Space Force Protest

GAO sustained Ares Enterprise, LLC’s protest of a U.S. Space Force task order awarded to Vision Information Technology Consultants for work at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California. GAO found that the network operations and related requirements exceeded the scope of both the EITaaS Wave 1 BPA and Vision’s Federal Supply Schedule contract. The decision highlights the risk of using an existing vehicle to order work beyond what was competed and the underlying schedule contract permits.

- Contracting teams should compare each task order’s requirements with the competed vehicle’s scope before placing or accepting an order.
- Contractors using teaming arrangements should verify that each member’s assigned work is within that member’s own schedule contract scope.
- Firms may be able to challenge an out-of-scope order even if they do not hold the BPA or a Federal Supply Schedule contract.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles
**Published:** October 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Space Force (USSF)
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- General Services Administration (GSA)

### Vendors
- Ares Enterprise, LLC (Incumbent subcontractor and protester)
- Vision Information Technology Consultants (Task order awardee)

### Sources
- [September 2026 Bid Protest Sustain of the Month: When a Help Desk BPA Is Used to Order Full Network Operations, GAO Says No | Government Contracts Legal Forum](https://www.governmentcontractslegalforum.com/2026/10/articles/government-contracts/september-2026-bid-protest-sustain-of-the-month-when-a-help-desk-bpa-is-used-to-order-full-network-operations-gao-says-no) - Government Contracts Legal Forum