[Alberta's Child]

There are factors other than $ such as quality, dependability or on time performance.

And political considerations. And lobbying pressure.

I have a three-letter acronym for you: TSA.

[JayGalt]

That is certainly an analogical reach. TSA was created by the GVT to safeguard America at airports. It is an expensive DEI ridden failure controlled by bureaucracy. It should be ended. There is no similarity to a private company receiving a grant. There is not even an analogy to a Government preferred vendor.
We need a thorough shakeup of Government procurement since some of the traditional suppliers have gotten bloated, inefficient, produce defective supplies and are in many cases infiltrated by foereign interests. But that is a different issue.