[Protest of Air Force Failure to Exclude Offerer From Competitive Range

A firm protested another firm's participation in an Air Force procurement for survivable collective protection systems, contending that the other firm had an organizational conflict of interest because of its participation in another procurement, under which it allegedly gained access to the protester's proprietary data. GAO held that the: (1) protest was premature, since the Air Force had not opened bids or determined any potential offerer's eligibility for the procurement; and (2) firm's possible participation did not constitute a solicitation impropriety that the protester had to protest before bid opening. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed.