B-133836, OCT. 7, 1957
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 19. INCLUDED AN OPTION TO THE EFFECT THAT IF A CONTRACTOR WAS UNABLE TO FURNISH THE STOCK SPECIFIED UNDER "PAPER" IN THE SPECIFICATIONS. 937 WERE RECEIVED PROVIDING FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO FURNISH THE PAPER. 400 WERE RECEIVED FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WAS TO FURNISH THE PAPER. YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID FROM UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY OF $805 WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER FIVE BIDS IN WHICH THE BIDDERS QUOTED ON THEIR FURNISHING THE PAPER AND BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE FORMS ALONE WAS $795.92 AND THE WORTH OF THE PAPER STOCK WAS APPROXIMATELY $792.
B-133836, OCT. 7, 1957
TO THE HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1957, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR WHICH UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1957.
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ADVERTISED, UNDER JACKET NO. 431995, FOR PRICES ON THE PRODUCTION OF 275,000 COPIES OF A TAX FORM, TRIM SIZE 7 7/8 BY 22 INCHES, FOLDED TO 7 7/8 BY 11 INCHES, PRINTED BY LETTERPRESS OR OFFSET METHOD ON TWO SIDES. THE SPECIFICATIONS STIPULATED THAT THE CONTRACTOR FURNISH THE PAPER, BUT INCLUDED AN OPTION TO THE EFFECT THAT IF A CONTRACTOR WAS UNABLE TO FURNISH THE STOCK SPECIFIED UNDER "PAPER" IN THE SPECIFICATIONS, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WOULD FURNISH F.O.B. CONTRACTOR'S CITY, WHITE C. W. (PROP. 245) 34 BY 44 INCHES, 160 LBS. PER 1,000 SHEETS (SUB. 40), BASIS 17 BY 22 INCHES PER 1,000 SHEETS. THE SPECIFICATIONS ALSO PROVIDED THAT IF THE BIDDER WANTED THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE TO FURNISH THE PAPER HE SHOULD SO STATE IN HIS BID.
IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY UNDER DATE OF SEPTEMBER 3, 1957, SUBMITTED A BID OF $805 FOR 275,000 COPIES OF THE FORM. THE BIDDER DID NOT STATE WHETHER OR NOT IT INTENDED TO FURNISH THE PAPER. FIVE OTHER BIDS RANGING FROM $1,443.75 TO $1,937 WERE RECEIVED PROVIDING FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO FURNISH THE PAPER, AND FIVE BIDS RANGING FROM $1,056.80 TO $2,400 WERE RECEIVED FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WAS TO FURNISH THE PAPER.
YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID FROM UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY OF $805 WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER FIVE BIDS IN WHICH THE BIDDERS QUOTED ON THEIR FURNISHING THE PAPER AND BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE FORMS ALONE WAS $795.92 AND THE WORTH OF THE PAPER STOCK WAS APPROXIMATELY $792. ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1957, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BY TELEPHONE REQUESTED UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY TO VERIFY ITS BID ON THIS JOB, AND THE VICE PRESIDENT EXPLAINED THAT HIS FIRM'S QUOTATION OF $805 DID NOT COVER THE COST OF THE PAPER BUT COVERED ONLY THE REPRODUCTION OF 275,000 COPIES OF LITHOGRAPHING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE TO FURNISH THE NECESSARY PAPER. THE BIDDER CONFIRMED THIS TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 11, 1957.
THE RECORD LEAVES LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE COMPANY MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY WAS ERRONEOUS AND SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF THE LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 11, 1957, FROM UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY, ARE RETURNED.