B-124404, JUN. 30, 1955

B-124404, JUN. 30, 1955

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 22, 1955, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN REGARDING AN ERROR THE WILLIAM B. BURFORD PRINTING CO. ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID ON JACKET NO. 345752, OPENED ON JUNE 14, 1955.

THE SPECIFICATIONS ACCOMPANYING THE BID INVITATION PROVIDE THAT THE CONTRACTOR WILL FURNISH THE NECESSARY PAPER STOCK AND SHIPPING CARTONS, OR THAT AT THE CONTRACTOR'S OPTION THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WILL FURNISH THE NECESSARY PAPER STOCK OR CARTONS, OR BOTH; AND THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE IS TO FURNISH THE PAPER STOCK OR CARTONS, THE BIDDER MUST DEFINITELY STATE IN HIS BID THE NUMBER OF SHEETS AND CARTONS HE WILL REQUIRE.

IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, THE WILLIAM B. BURFORD PRINTING CO. SUBMITTED A BID DATED JUNE 13, 1955, OFFERING TO FURNISH THE PRINTED FORMS CALLED FOR FOR $1,122.90, AND TO FURNISH ADDITIONAL FORMS AT A PRICE OF $1.72 PER THOUSAND.

YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BID OF THE WILLIAM B. BURFORD PRINTING CO., WHICH CONTAINED NO EXCEPTION AS TO PAPER OR CARTONS, WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE BID WAS ONLY HALF OF THE AMOUNT OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE AND WAS IN LINE WITH THE NEXT TWO LOW BIDS, ON WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FURNISH THE PAPER STOCK AND CARTONS. THEREFORE THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED BY TELEGRAM TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE. ON JUNE 15, 1955, THE WILLIAM B. BURFORD PRINTING CO. ADVISED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BY TELEGRAM THAT ITS BID WAS IN ORDER WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT IT WOULD NEED 76,000 SHEETS OF 32 BY 42 PAPER AND SHIPPING CARTONS. BY LETTER OF THE SAME DATE, THE WILLIAM B. BURFORD PRINTING CO. AFFIRMED THIS INFORMATION AND SUBMITTED THE JOB ESTIMATE SHEET ON WHICH ITS BID WAS BASED. IN ITS LETTER THE COMPANY STATED THAT THE SPECIFICATIONS IN THIS CASE WERE A LITTLE UNUSUAL AS THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ORDINARILY STIPULATES THE AMOUNT OF PAPER TO BE SUPPLIED. THE COMPANY'S ESTIMATE SHEET SHOWS VARIOUS ITEMS OF COST TOTALING $1,222.88, TWO CENTS LESS THAN THE AMOUNT OF THE BID, AND CONTAINS THE NOTATION ,G.P.O. FURNISHES CARTONS-PAPER," NONE OF THE VARIOUS ITEMS OF COST MAKING UP THE BID PRICE APPEAR TO INCLUDE THE COST OF THE PAPER AND SHIPPING CARTONS.

ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AN ERROR WAS MADE BY THE COMPANY, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE WILLIAM B. BURFORD PRINTING CO. SHOULD BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.

THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONTRACTOR'S LETTER OF JUNE 15, 1955, AND ITS ESTIMATE SHEET, ARE RETURNED.