B-130001, DEC. 11, 1956
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO A LETTER DATED DECEMBER 6. RELATIVE TO A MISTAKE ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE BID OF RALPH PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHING COMPANY. THE FINAL DELIVERY DATE ESTABLISHED FOR THE JOB IS JANUARY 4. FOUR BIDS WERE RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION. WERE RECEIVED AS ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS BASED UPON PRODUCING THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF POSTERS ON PAPER TO BE FURNISHED BY THE BIDDERS. IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE LOW BID WAS CONSIDERABLY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE OF $1. SHOWING THE INDIVIDUAL COST OF THE ITEMS UPON WHICH ITS PROPOSAL OF THAT DATE WAS BASED. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRACTING OFFICER'S ESTIMATE FOR THE OMITTED WORK WAS $972.48. THAT THE ERROR WAS SATISFACTORILY EXPLAINED AND CONFIRMED BY THE LOW BIDDER BEFORE AWARD.
B-130001, DEC. 11, 1956
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO A LETTER DATED DECEMBER 6, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, FROM MR. JOHN M. WILSON, ACTING PUBLIC PRINTER, RELATIVE TO A MISTAKE ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE BID OF RALPH PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHING COMPANY, OMAHA, NEBRASKA, SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION ISSUED NOVEMBER 19, 1956, BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
THE SAID INVITATION CALLED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 12,000 COPIES OF A 4- COLOR POSTER, SIZE 29 BY 22 INCHES (JACKET 407164), TO BE PRINTED ON ONE SIDE ONLY ON WHITE OFFSET BOOK PAPER TO BE FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. THE FINAL DELIVERY DATE ESTABLISHED FOR THE JOB IS JANUARY 4, 1957. FOUR BIDS WERE RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, AS FOLLOWS:
RALPH PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHING COMPANY $ 679.80
STROMBERG ALLEN AND COMPANY 1,355.00
CONTINENTAL LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION 1,625.00
MAJESTIC PRESS, INC. 1,720.00
TWO OTHER BIDS FOR $1,362 AND $1,576, RESPECTIVELY, WERE RECEIVED AS ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS BASED UPON PRODUCING THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF POSTERS ON PAPER TO BE FURNISHED BY THE BIDDERS. HOWEVER, THE SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDED A PROVISION TO THE EFFECT THAT, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED IN THE BID, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WOULD FURNISH THE NECESSARY PAPER.
UPON THE FORMAL OPENING OF THE BIDS ON NOVEMBER 29, 1956, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTICED THE WIDE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF THE LOW BID OF RALPH PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHING COMPANY AND THE AMOUNTS OF THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED. FURTHERMORE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE LOW BID WAS CONSIDERABLY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE OF $1,882.75 FOR THE JOB. BECAUSE OF A SUSPICION OF ERROR IN THE AMOUNT OF THE LOW BID, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BY TELEGRAM DATED DECEMBER 3, 1956, REQUESTED A CONFIRMATION OF THE BIDDER'S PROPOSAL, TO WHICH THE LATTER RESPONDED ON DECEMBER 4, 1956, BY TELEPHONE, ADVISING THAT ITS ESTIMATOR HAD FAILED TO INCLUDE IN THE BID ANY AMOUNT FOR THE NECESSARY COLOR SEPARATIONS, ESTIMATED TO COST $574. IT REQUESTED THAT THE AMOUNT OF ITS PROPOSAL BE INCREASED FROM $679.80 TO $1,253.80. THE BIDDER CONFIRMED ITS ALLEGATION OF ERROR BY LETTER OF DECEMBER 4, WITH WHICH IT SUBMITTED A WORKSHEET DATED NOVEMBER 23, 1956, SHOWING THE INDIVIDUAL COST OF THE ITEMS UPON WHICH ITS PROPOSAL OF THAT DATE WAS BASED, AND ALSO CLEARLY INDICATING THAT ITS ORIGINAL ESTIMATE DID NOT INCLUDE AN AMOUNT FOR THE PRELIMINARY WORK INVOLVED IN MAKING THE COLOR PROCESS SEPARATION NEGATIVES, NECESSARY FOR PRODUCTION OF THE WORK. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRACTING OFFICER'S ESTIMATE FOR THE OMITTED WORK WAS $972.48.
UPON THE BASIS OF THESE FACTS, FROM WHICH IT CLEARLY APPEARS THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER SUSPECTED THE ERROR IMMEDIATELY UPON EXAMINATION OF THE BIDS AFTER OPENING, AND THAT THE ERROR WAS SATISFACTORILY EXPLAINED AND CONFIRMED BY THE LOW BIDDER BEFORE AWARD, YOU ARE ADVISED THAT THE BID OF RALPH PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHING COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED FOR PURPOSES OF AWARD UNDER THE PRESENT INVITATION.
EXCEPT FOR THE LOW BIDDER'S EXPLANATORY COMMENTS OF DECEMBER 4, AND ITS ORIGINAL ESTIMATE SHEET, WHICH WILL BE RETAINED HERE, THE PAPERS WHICH ACCOMPANIED YOUR COMMUNICATION OF DECEMBER 6, ..END :