B-135146, FEB. 24, 1958
Highlights
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 5. THE OTHER RESPONSIVE BIDS WERE $332.23. BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT THEIR UNIT PRICES WERE ERRONEOUS AS THEY WERE OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS. STATED THAT ITS INTENDED UNIT PRICE WAS $310. AN ERROR IS APPARENT ON THE FACE OF THE BID. A COMPARISON OF THE BID WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED LEAVES NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE ERROR WAS IN THE UNIT PRICE AND NOT IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT. A BIDDER MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO RECALCULATE AND TO CHANGE ITS BID TO INCLUDE FACTORS WHICH IT DID NOT HAVE IN MIND WHEN ITS BID WAS SUBMITTED. 17 COMP. CONFIRMED YOUR BELIEF THAT THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS.
B-135146, FEB. 24, 1958
TO MR. C. B. YANDO, CONTRACTING OFFICER, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 5, 1958, REFERENCE 5057/134, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION REGARDING ERRORS IN BID MADE BY GRAYBAR ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., AND ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO.
INVITATION NO. 58-73 SOLICITED BIDS FOR FURNISHING THREE FANS COMPLETE WITH MOTOR, AUTOMATIC SHUTTERS AND INDOOR SAFETY GUARD. GRAYBAR ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., BID A UNIT PRICE OF $31 AND A TOTAL PRICE OF $930. ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO. BID A UNIT PRICE OF $270. THE OTHER RESPONSIVE BIDS WERE $332.23, $340.21 AND $345 PER UNIT. YOU REQUESTED GRAYBAR ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., AND ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO. TO CONFIRM THEIR BIDS, BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT THEIR UNIT PRICES WERE ERRONEOUS AS THEY WERE OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS.
IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST TO VERIFY ITS BID, GRAYBAR ELECTRIC
COMPANY, INC., STATED THAT ITS INTENDED UNIT PRICE WAS $310.
AN ERROR IS APPARENT ON THE FACE OF THE BID, SINCE THE UNIT PRICE STATED MULTIPLIED BY THE QUANTITY INVOLVED WOULD EQUAL ONE-TENTH OF THE AMOUNT IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT COLUMN. A COMPARISON OF THE BID WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED LEAVES NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE ERROR WAS IN THE UNIT PRICE AND NOT IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT. THE INTENDED UNIT PRICE OF $310 MULTIPLIED BY THE QUANTITIES BID UPON EQUALS $930, THE AMOUNT INSERTED IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT COLUMN. ACCORDINGLY, THE BID MAY BE CORRECTED TO PROVIDE FOR THE INTENDED UNIT PRICE OF $310 AND MAY BE CONSIDERED ALONG WITH THE OTHER BIDS IN MAKING THE AWARD. 36 COMP. GEN. 429.
IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST TO VERIFY ITS BID, ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO. REPLIED THAT ITS $270 UNIT PRICE REFLECTED THE COST OF THE FAN ONLY AND REQUESTED THAT ITS BID BE AMENDED TO $344 PER UNIT TO INCLUDE THE REQUIRED AUTOMATIC SHUTTERS AND INDOOR SAFETY GUARD.
A BIDDER MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO RECALCULATE AND TO CHANGE ITS BID TO INCLUDE FACTORS WHICH IT DID NOT HAVE IN MIND WHEN ITS BID WAS SUBMITTED. 17 COMP. GEN. 575. HOWEVER, SINCE, UPON YOUR REQUEST FOR VERIFICATION, ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO. CONFIRMED YOUR BELIEF THAT THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS, ITS BID SHOULD BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.