Proprietary or confidential information, source-selection-sensitive information, or other information, the release of which could result in a competitive advantage to one or more firms, may be protected under a GAO protective order.GAO may issue a protective order to allow limited access to such ‟protected” information to attorneys, or consultants retained by attorneys, who meet certain requirements. The protective order strictly controls who has access to protected material and how that material is labeled, distributed, stored, and disposed of at the conclusion of the protest. Where no protective order is issued, the agency may withhold from the parties the portions of its report that would ordinarily be subject to a protective order.

GAO-06-716SP Guide to GAO Protective Orders

Over the years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has developed a substantial body of law and standard procedures for considering bid protests. This is the 9th edition of ¿Bid Protests at GAO: A Descriptive Guide,¿ prepared by the Office of the General Counsel, to aid those interested in GAO's bid protest process. This edition incorporates changes made to GAO¿s Bid Protest Regulations, effective June 9, 2008, to conform the regulations to changes in GAO¿s jurisdiction enacted by section 568 of the Dept. of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008, and by sections 326 and 843 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008. This edition also incorporates changes to GAO¿s protective order.