[Protest of Air Force Rejection of Bid for Hazardous Materials Storage Containers]

A firm protested the Air Force's rejection of its bid for hazardous materials storage containers as nonresponsive, contending that the Air Force should have: (1) allowed it to correct its bid error; or (2) resolicited the requirement, since it was the only small disadvantaged business capable of meeting the brand-name-or-equal requirements. GAO held that the: (1) Air Force properly rejected the protester's bid as nonresponsive, since the protester could not cure its mistake after bid opening; (2) brand-name-or-equal specification was not a salient characteristic; and (3) protester untimely filed its protest against alleged solicitation improprieties. Accordingly, the protest was denied.