B-132876, AUG. 20, 1957

B-132876, AUG. 20, 1957

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 9, 1957, RELATIVE TO AN ERROR IN BID ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION IN THE SUBMISSION OF ITS BID FOR FURNISHING 10,000 COPIES OF A BOOK OF 452 PAGES TO THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. YOU REQUEST A DECISION WHETHER THE SUBJECT BID MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING AWARD FOR THIS WORK.

IT APPEARS THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THE PROBABILITY OF ERROR IN THE BID OF $1,680, SUBMITTED BY HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION, SINCE IT WAS SO MUCH LOWER THAN THE NEXT LOW BID OF $2,712 AND THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $2,374.10. IN RESPONSE TO THE CONTRACTING OFFICER'S TELEGRAM OF AUGUST 1, 1957, REQUESTING CONFIRMATION OF ITS BID, THE HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION REPLIED BY TELEPHONE ON THE SAME DAY THAT IT HAD FAILED TO INCLUDE IN ITS BID THE COST OF PRELIMINARY WORK AND PRESSWORK AND THAT ITS BID PRICE SHOULD HAVE READ $2,976. BY LETTER OF THE SAME DATE THE BIDDER CONFIRMED THE ALLEGATION OF ERROR AND ENCLOSED ESTIMATE SHEETS SHOWING A TOTAL PRICE OF $2,976 FOR THE WORK.

ON THE RECORD, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE COMPANY MADE AN ERROR IN THE PREPARATION OF ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE BIDDER PERTAINING TO THE ERROR IN BID, THE ..END :