B-129807, NOV. 21, 1956
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 16. SHOULD HAVE ITS BID DISREGARDED BECAUSE OF AN ERROR IT ALLEGED PRIOR TO AWARD. WHICH WAS THE PRICE SHOWN ON ITS WORKSHEET WHICH WAS SUBMITTED WITH ITS LETTER. THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HAS STATED THAT HE BELIEVES THE BID IS ERRONEOUS AS THE PRICE IS TOO LOW AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE NOTED THE ERROR HAD HE EXAMINED THE BIDS BEFORE RECEIVING THE NOTICE OF ERROR.
B-129807, NOV. 21, 1956
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 16, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, FROM THE ACTING PUBLIC PRINTER, WHO REQUESTS A DECISION WHETHER AMERICAN LITHOFOLD CORPORATION, SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI, SHOULD HAVE ITS BID DISREGARDED BECAUSE OF AN ERROR IT ALLEGED PRIOR TO AWARD.
AMERICAN LITHOFOLD CORPORATION BID $543.20 FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 40,000 SETS (PLUS OR MINUS 10 PERCENT) OF A 6-PART SINGLE STUB SNAPOUT FORM, CARBON INTERLEAVED. THE OFFERS OF THE SEVEN OTHER BIDDERS RANGED FROM $860.00 TO $1,429.20. THE DAY AFTER THE BID OPENING, BEFORE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER EXAMINED THE BIDS, THE CORPORATION'S REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BY TELEPHONE THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE. BY LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 8, 1956, CONFIRMING THE NOTICE OF ERROR AND REQUESTING PERMISSION TO WITHDRAW ITS BID, THE FIRM STATED THAT IN TYPING UP THE BID IT ENTERED A PRICE OF $13.58 PER THOUSAND INSTEAD OF $33.58 PER THOUSAND, WHICH WAS THE PRICE SHOWN ON ITS WORKSHEET WHICH WAS SUBMITTED WITH ITS LETTER. THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HAS STATED THAT HE BELIEVES THE BID IS ERRONEOUS AS THE PRICE IS TOO LOW AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE NOTED THE ERROR HAD HE EXAMINED THE BIDS BEFORE RECEIVING THE NOTICE OF ERROR.
ON THE BASIS OF THESE FACTS, AMERICAN LITHOFOLD CORPORATION SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW ITS BID.