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B-134977, FEB. 19, 1958

B-134977 Feb 19, 1958
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TO THOMPSON COMPANY PRINTERS INCORPORATED: FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JANUARY 20. BIDS ON WHICH WERE OPENED DECEMBER 16. TO WHICH YOUR COMPLAINT IS ADDRESSED. TWO WERE FOR ?038. THE SIXTH WAS ?055. THE PRICE FOR THE SAME ITEM UNDER THE THEN CURRENT CONTRACT OF THE PRINTING OFFICE WAS ?04. IN THE COST ESTIMATE FOR THE PROGRAM MADE UP BY THAT AGENCY PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF THE BID INVITATION THE UNIT PRICE OF ?045 WAS USED FOR PHOTOENGRAVING. THE HERALD SQUARE PRESS WAS CURRENTLY PERFORMING A CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE FOR PAMPHLETS UNDER ANOTHER PROGRAM. UPON CONFIRMATION OF THAT INTENT BY THE BIDDER EVALUATION OF THE BID WAS MADE ON THAT BASIS. RESULTING IN THE CHANGE IN ORDER OF SEQUENCE OF BIDDERS WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF YOUR PROTEST.

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B-134977, FEB. 19, 1958

TO THOMPSON COMPANY PRINTERS INCORPORATED:

FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JANUARY 20, 1958, CONCERNING A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE OF THE SEQUENCE OF BIDDERS ON THE TACO ACCELERATED PAMPHLET PROGRAM (101) EASTERN AREA, BIDS ON WHICH WERE OPENED DECEMBER 16, 1957.

THE RECORD FURNISHED BY THE PUBLIC PRINTER SHOWS THAT THE CORRECTION OF THE BID OF HERALD SQUARE PRESS, TO WHICH YOUR COMPLAINT IS ADDRESSED, CONSISTED OF THE NOTING AND CONFIRMATION OF AN OBVIOUS DECIMAL ERROR IN THE UNIT PRICE QUOTED FOR PHOTOENGRAVING, ITEM IA OF THE SCHEDULES. THE BID AS SUBMITTED READ "?45.' OF THE SIX OTHER BIDS RECEIVED, THREE QUOTED A UNIT PRICE OF ?04, TWO WERE FOR ?038, AND THE SIXTH WAS ?055. THE PRICE FOR THE SAME ITEM UNDER THE THEN CURRENT CONTRACT OF THE PRINTING OFFICE WAS ?04, AND IN THE COST ESTIMATE FOR THE PROGRAM MADE UP BY THAT AGENCY PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF THE BID INVITATION THE UNIT PRICE OF ?045 WAS USED FOR PHOTOENGRAVING. IN ADDITION, THE HERALD SQUARE PRESS WAS CURRENTLY PERFORMING A CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE FOR PAMPHLETS UNDER ANOTHER PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDED PHOTOENGRAVINGS AT ?048 EACH.

IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE CONTRACTING OFFICER CONCLUDED THAT THE FIGURE IN THE HERALD SQUARE PRESS BID HAD BEEN INTENDED AS ?045, AND UPON CONFIRMATION OF THAT INTENT BY THE BIDDER EVALUATION OF THE BID WAS MADE ON THAT BASIS, RESULTING IN THE CHANGE IN ORDER OF SEQUENCE OF BIDDERS WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF YOUR PROTEST.

THE CORRECTION OF SUCH OBVIOUS DECIMAL ERRORS BY THE CONTRACTING AGENCIES OF THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED AND REGULARLY PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST TWENTY YEARS PAST. IN 17 COMP. GEN. 339, IT WAS SAID: "* * * WHERE, AS IN THIS CASE, THE ERROR IS APPARENT AT THE TIME OF OPENING OF THE BIDS, IS CONFIRMED BY THE BIDDER BEFORE AN AWARD IS MADE, AND INVOLVES ONLY PLACEMENT OF A DECIMAL POINT, THE CORRECTION MAY BE MADE WITHOUT SUBMITTING THE MATTER TO THIS OFFICE FOR CONSIDERATION.'

ON THE RECORD BEFORE US, WE FIND NO GROUND FOR OBJECTING TO THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE IN THIS INSTANCE.

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