1.  The procedures established hereunder shall be available to contractors for the purpose of handling and resolving disputes relating to procurements hereunder. A protestor must exhaust all administrative remedies hereunder before pursuing a protest in any court of law. Where applicable, any information received under such procedures shall be disclosed to the Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) and a protestor must exhaust all administrative remedies before pursuing a protest with
    the FTA.
  2.  The term “contractor” means any person, firm, or corporation, which has contracted or seeks to contract with the Gunnison Valley RTA.
  3. The term “hearing officer” shall mean a person, appointed by the Board of Directors of the RTA, to hear and decide allegations made by any contractor relating to procurements hereunder.
  4. A “pre-bid or solicitation phase protest” is a written protest received prior to the bid opening or proposal due date.
  5. A “pre-award protest” is a protest against making an award and is received after receipt of proposals or bids, but before award of a contract.
  6. A “post-award protest” is a protest received after award of a contract.
  7. A “performance protest” is a protest received during or after the execution of a
    contract.