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B-134293, NOV. 7, 1957

B-134293 Nov 07, 1957
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BUREAU OF RECLAMATION: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 30. MAY BE DISREGARDED IN VIEW OF AN ERROR ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE COMPUTATION OF ITS OFFER SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO AN INVITATION TO BID IDENTIFIED AS SPECIFICATIONS NO. 400C-96. PREPARED BY PROJECT PERSONNEL DISCLOSES THAT EIGHT BIDS WERE RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE -CITED INVITATION RANGING FROM $110. BECAUSE THE BID OF PLANT DARTNELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WAS MATERIALLY LOWER THAN THE SAID ESTIMATE AND THE OTHER BIDS SUBMITTED. THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED TO VERIFY ITS OFFER. WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN SUBCONTRACTING. WAS IN ERROR AS ALLEGED. SINCE THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER APPARENTLY SUSPECTED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE HIS SUSPICION WAS CONFIRMED.

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B-134293, NOV. 7, 1957

TO MR. REID JERMAN, ACTING REGIONAL DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 30, 1957, TRANSMITTING CERTAIN PAPERS TO US WITH THE REQUEST THAT A DECISION BE RENDERED AS TO WHETHER THE BID OF PLANT-DARTNELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED, MAY BE DISREGARDED IN VIEW OF AN ERROR ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE COMPUTATION OF ITS OFFER SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO AN INVITATION TO BID IDENTIFIED AS SPECIFICATIONS NO. 400C-96.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT DATED OCTOBER 24, 1957, PREPARED BY PROJECT PERSONNEL DISCLOSES THAT EIGHT BIDS WERE RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE -CITED INVITATION RANGING FROM $110,418 TO $338,240.50, AS COMPARED TO THE GOVERNMENT ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE OF $308,136, FOR THE WORK PRESCRIBED BY THE SPECIFICATIONS. BECAUSE THE BID OF PLANT DARTNELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WAS MATERIALLY LOWER THAN THE SAID ESTIMATE AND THE OTHER BIDS SUBMITTED, THE PROCUREMENT OFFICIALS APPARENTLY SUSPECTED THAT A MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE AND, ON DATE OF OPENING, OCTOBER 24, 1957, THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED TO VERIFY ITS OFFER. IN REPLY THERETO THE CORPORATION'S VICE-PRESIDENT FURNISHED AN AFFIDAVIT, WITH SUPPORTING WORK PAPERS, EXPLAINING THAT AN ERROR OCCURRED IN THE COMPUTATION OF ITS OFFER AS A RESULT OF THE INADVERTENT OMISSION FROM ITS FINAL PROPOSAL OF AN ESTIMATED COST OF $68,702, COVERING CERTAIN WORK WHICH IT CONTEMPLATED, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN SUBCONTRACTING.

THE RELATED FACTS AND ACCOMPANYING PAPERS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE QUOTATION OF PLANT-DARTNELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED, WAS IN ERROR AS ALLEGED. SINCE THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER APPARENTLY SUSPECTED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE HIS SUSPICION WAS CONFIRMED, COUPLED WITH A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION THEREOF PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID PROPERLY MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING AN AWARD OF A CONTRACT UNDER THE INVITATION INVOLVED.

THE ENCLOSURES WHICH ACCOMPANIED YOUR SUBMISSION DATED OCTOBER 30, 1957, ARE RETURNED AS REQUESTED.

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