Diamond Aircraft Industries, Inc.

A firm protested a Department of the Air Force contract award for dual motorgliders, spare parts, and support equipment, contending that the Air Force (1) misled it into offering an unacceptable product and (2) misevaluated its proposal. GAO held that (1) the protester relied on the Air Force official's informal advice in response to its request for clarification of the solicitation; offerers rely on such informal advice at their own risk, and (2) the protester's proposal offered to comply with the solicitation requirements, but did not provide any information to support its statements of compliance. Accordingly, the protest was denied.