B-132082, JUN. 17, 1957

B-132082, JUN. 17, 1957

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 5, 1957, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN RELATIVE TO AN ERROR ALLEGED BY RICHTER MCCALL AND COMPANY TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN ITS BID SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO AN INVITATION FOR BIDS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ON MAY 10, 1957 (JACKET NO. 425054) FOR FURNISHING 500,000 COPIES OF A FORM TO BE PRINTED ON 220 POUND WHITE INDEX PAPER TO BE FURNISHED BY THE CONTRACTOR.

IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, RICHTER MCCALL AND COMPANY SUBMITTED A BID IN THE AMOUNT OF $830. THE NINE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED RANGED FROM $2,592 TO $4,460. AFTER THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON MAY 24, 1957, BUT BEFORE THEY WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, RICHTER MCCALL AND COMPANY ADVISED BY TELEPHONE THAT ITS BID WAS IN ERROR IN THAT IT WAS COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF 16 POUND WHITE SULPHITE WRITING PAPER INSTEAD OF 220 POUND WHITE INDEX PAPER AS SPECIFIED, AND THAT THE BID SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,750 INSTEAD OF $830. BY LETTERS DATED MAY 27 AND MAY 28, 1957, THE BIDDER CONFIRMED THE ABOVE INFORMATION AND SUBMITTED ITS ESTIMATE SHEET, WHICH SUBSTANTIATES ITS CLAIM OF ERROR.

IN VIEW OF THE FACTS AS REPORTED AND SHOWN BY THE FILE, INCLUDING THE GREAT DISPARITY BETWEEN THE RICHTER MCCALL AND COMPANY BID AND ALL OTHER BIDS RECEIVED, IT MAY BE REGARDED AS SATISFACTORILY ESTABLISHED THAT RICHTER MCCALL AND COMPANY MADE A BONA FIDE ERROR IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED AND EXPLAINED BY IT. ACCORDINGLY, ITS BID MAY BE DISREGARDED.

AS REQUESTED, ALL PAPERS, EXCEPTING THE BIDDER'S LETTERS AND ESTIMATE SHEET, ARE RETURNED HEREWITH.