B-136694, JUL. 14, 1958
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 2. WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS AND THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE. THE CORPORATION WAS REQUESTED BY TELEGRAM DATED JUNE 20. THE CORPORATION ADVISED BY TELEGRAM THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE QUOTED A PRICE OF $1. THAT AN ADDITIONAL ERROR WAS ALSO MADE IN THAT IT ERRONEOUSLY COMPUTED THE COST OF THE JOB ON THE BASIS OF 15 BODY PLATES AND MAKE READIES INSTEAD OF 30. 765 AND IT IS REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE'S ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF THE WORK WAS $1. OF $434.25 IS COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS AND THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE CORPORATION MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID.
B-136694, JUL. 14, 1958
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 2, 1958, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR WHICH M. L. FRANKLIN COMPANY, INC., ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID OPENED ON JUNE 19, 1958.
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE REQUESTED BIDS UNDER JACKET NO. 464897 FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 1,301 COPIES OF A BOOK CONSISTING OF 480 PAGES AND COVER, FOR COMPLETE SHIPMENT ON OR BEFORE JULY 29, 1958. IN RESPONSE M. L. FRANKLIN COMPANY, INC., SUBMITTED A BID DATED JUNE 12, 1958, OFFERING TO FURNISH THE BOOKS FOR THE LUMP SUM OF $434.25.
YOU STATE THAT SINCE THE BID OF M. L. FRANKLIN COMPANY, INC., WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS AND THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE, THE CORPORATION WAS REQUESTED BY TELEGRAM DATED JUNE 20, 1958, TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE; AND THAT ON THE SAME DAY, THE CORPORATION ADVISED BY TELEGRAM THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,711FOR THE BOOKS.
IN A CONFIRMING LETTER DATED JUNE 20, 1958, IN WHICH IT PRESENTED AN ITEMIZATION OF ITS ORIGINAL ESTIMATE AND REVISED ESTIMATE ON THE BOOKS, THE CORPORATION STATED THAT IN TRANSFERRING ITS BID PRICE FROM THE ESTIMATE SHEET TO THE BID FORM, IT INADVERTENTLY COPIED THE AMOUNT OF THE OUTSIDE PURCHASES, $434.25, RATHER THAN THE TOTAL COST OF THE WORK, $1,274.15, AND THAT AN ADDITIONAL ERROR WAS ALSO MADE IN THAT IT ERRONEOUSLY COMPUTED THE COST OF THE JOB ON THE BASIS OF 15 BODY PLATES AND MAKE READIES INSTEAD OF 30, WHICH THE JOB REQUIRES.
THE LIST OF BIDS IN YOUR LETTER SHOWS THAT THE SIX OTHER BIDS ON THE BOOKS RANGED FROM $1,099 TO $1,765 AND IT IS REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE'S ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF THE WORK WAS $1,371.77. THUS, THE BID OF M. L. FRANKLIN COMPANY, INC., OF $434.25 IS COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS AND THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE.
ON THE RECORD, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE CORPORATION MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF M. L. FRANKLIN COMPANY, INC., WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE CORPORATION MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CORPORATION'S LETTER OF JUNE 20, 1958, ARE RETURNED.