B-126052, NOV. 21, 1955

B-126052, NOV. 21, 1955

TO ADMINISTRATOR OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 10, 1955, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN RELATIVE TO AN ERROR ALLEGED BY THE PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC., TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN ITS BID DATED OCTOBER 21, 1955, SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION NO. A- 110-L FOR FURNISHING GLASS MICROSCOPIC SLIDES, PLAIN AND FROSTED.

IT IS REPORTED THAT BIDS WERE OPENED OCTOBER 25, 1955, AS SCHEDULED, AND THAT BY TELEGRAM DATED OCTOBER 27, 1955, CONFIRMED BY LETTER DATED OCTOBER 28, 1955, THE PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC., ALLEGED AN ERROR IN ITS BID IN THAT A SECRETARY HAD INSERTED THE INTENDED PRICE FOR PLAIN SLIDES AS THE BID PRICE FOR FROSTED SLIDES, AND VICE VERSA. THE COMPANY REQUESTED THAT THE BID PRICES BE CORRECTED ACCORDINGLY.

THE BIDS SUBMITTED BY THE PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY WERE IN THE AMOUNTS OF $0.71, $0.73, $0.89 AND $0.91 PER BOX FOR ITEMS NOS. 1, 2, 3 AND 4 RESPECTIVELY, ITEMS 1 AND 2 COVERING FROSTED SLIDES AND ITEMS 3 AND 4 PLAIN SLIDES. THE OTHER FOUR BIDS RECEIVED RANGED FROM $0.783 TO $1.00 ON ITEM NO. 1, $0.793 TO $1.00 ON ITEM NO. 2, $0.579 TO $0.75 ON ITEM NO. 3; AND $0.589 TO $0.75 ON ITEM NO. 4. ALTHOUGH THE BID OF THE PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY WAS LOWER FOR FROSTED SLIDES THAN FOR PLAIN SLIDES, THE REVERSE WAS TRUE OF ALL OTHER BIDS, AND IT IS STATED IN YOUR LETTER THAT FROSTED SLIDES USUALLY ARE PRICED HIGHER THAN PLAIN SLIDES.

IN VIEW OF THE FACTS AS REPORTED AND AS SHOWN BY THE FILE, IT MAY BE REGARDED AS SATISFACTORILY ESTABLISHED THAT THE PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC., MADE A BONA FIDE ERROR IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED AND EXPLAINED BY IT. CORRECTION MAY BE PERMITTED AS REQUESTED.