B-133724, SEP. 13, 1957

B-133724, SEP. 13, 1957

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 9, 1957, RELATIVE TO AN ERROR IN BID ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY KIRBY LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY IN THE SUBMISSION OF ITS BID FOR FURNISHING 2,001 SETS OF POSTERS TO THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. YOU REQUEST A DECISION WHETHER THE SUBJECT BID MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING AWARD FOR THIS WORK.

IT APPEARS THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THE PROBABILITY OF ERROR IN THE BID OF $802, SUBMITTED BY KIRBY LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY, SINCE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $1,395.90. IN RESPONSE TO A TELEPHONE INQUIRY MADE BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER ON AUGUST 30, 1957, THE KIRBY LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY REPLIED BY TELEGRAM ON THE SAME DATE THAT THEIR BID WAS IN ERROR AS THEY HAD FIGURED THE INCORRECT AMOUNT OF STOCK, PRESS RUNNING, AND PLATES. LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 3, 1957, THE BIDDER CONFIRMED THE ALLEGATION OF ERROR AND REQUESTED THAT THEIR BID BE WITHDRAWN. WITH THEIR LETTER THEY ENCLOSED THEIR ORIGINAL ESTIMATE SHEET AND A REVISED ESTIMATE SHEET FROM WHICH IT APPEARS THAT ERRORS TOTALING $573 WERE MADE IN FIGURING THE AMOUNT OF STOCK, PRESS RUNNING, AND PLATES WHICH WOULD MAKE TOTAL PRICE $1,375 RATHER THAN $802.

ON THE RECORD THERE APPEARS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE COMPANY MADE AN ERROR IN THE PREPARATION OF ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF KIRBY LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE BIDDER PERTAINING TO THE ERROR IN BID, THE PAPERS SUBMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER ARE RETURNED.