B-125584, OCT. 4, 1955

B-125584, OCT. 4, 1955

TO HONORABLE H. W. HIGLEY, ADMINISTRATOR, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 23, 1955, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN REGARDING AN ERROR THE ACME COTTON PRODUCTS CO., INC. ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID DATED SEPTEMBER 6, 1955.

THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, PROCUREMENT DIVISION, WASHINGTON, D.C., BY INVITATION NO. A-84-H, REQUESTED BIDS FOR FURNISHING, AMONG OTHER ITEMS, 4,320 PACKAGES OF ROLLER GAUZE BANDAGE, 2 INCHES BY 6 YARDS, 12 ROLLS PER PACKAGE, ITEM 3. IN RESPONSE, THE ACME COTTON PRODUCTS CO., INC. SUBMITTED A BID OFFERING TO FURNISH, AMONG OTHERS, 4,320 PACKAGES OF GAUZE BANDAGE UNDER ITEM 3 AT A PRICE OF $0.58 PER PACKAGE FOR WHICH IT EXTENDED THE PRICE AS $2,628.72. THE THREE OTHER BIDS ON ITEM 3 RANGED FROM $0.59 TO $0.6318 PER PACKAGE.

BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 13, 1955, THE ACME COTTON PRODUCTS CO., INC. ADVISED THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID IN THAT THE UNIT PRICE FOR ITEM 3 SHOULD BE $0.6085 PER PACKAGE AND NOT $0.58 PER PACKAGE AND THAT THE EXTENDED TOTAL PRICE OF $2,628.72 WAS CORRECT. THE COMPANY REQUESTED THAT ITS BID ON ITEM 3 BE WITHDRAWN.

ERROR IS APPARENT ON THE FACE OF THE BID OF THE CORPORATION AS TO ITEM 3 SINCE THE UNIT PRICE OF $0.58 MULTIPLIED BY THE QUANTITY OF 4,320, SPECIFIED FOR ITEM 3, DOES NOT EQUAL THE AMOUNT OF $2,628.72 INSERTED IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT COLUMN. IF THE UNIT PRICE FOR ITEM 3 BE CORRECTED TO $0.6085, THE TOTAL WILL EQUAL THE EXTENDED PRICE OF $2,628.72.

ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE CORPORATION MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, THE BID OF THE ACME COTTON PRODUCTS CO., INC. AS TO ITEM 3 MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.