1. Submit your bid on time.  Check the proposal form for the bid opening date and time and be sure that your proposal is in the purchasing department before that time. Do not rely on the post office to deliver the bid in time unless there is at least a week available before bid opening. Usually, delayed mail, traffic delays, employees who got lost and other excuses will do you no good on a late bid. A late bid is a rejected bid, no matter how good your price is.

2. Sign your bid.  If your bid is not signed, it may not even be considered for award. Double check all papers to be
certain that signatures are placed where called for.

3. Be complete.  Do not send in an incomplete bid. Check the information that is required in the specification or on the bid form. Complete all blanks on the form.  Attach samples, bid checks, surety bonds and qualification forms when required, and provide additional copies when requested. Many bids are rejected because the vendor failed to take a few seconds to see that everything was in order before the bid envelope was sealed.

4. Be responsive.  Bid what was asked for. If you have alternates, first bid what was asked for and then include your alternate. A main reason for bid rejection lies with the responsiveness of the bidder to the specifications. Even if you know that your bid for the requested item is excessive, bid it. Your alternates may not be considered unless you also bid the item requested. If you cannot bid the requested item, contact the purchasing office and determine if they accept and review alternate bids on parity with all other bids.
 

PROTESTING AWARDS
Some vendors occasionally feel that a bid has been unfairly reviewed and that the award to another firm is incorrect. Should you determine that it is in your best interest to protest an award, follow the rules.

The purchasing regulations issued by each local government normally include a protest procedure. If one is included, follow it to the letter. If no protest procedure is included, contact the purchasing department for that local government and ask them for the proper procedure to follow. Blindly accusing purchasing employees or sending letters to the wrong parties can harm your protest effort. Follow the established procedures for best results.

Before the protest is lodged, visit the purchasing agent and ask to see the award files for the transaction. Many times, the problem can be resolved at this stage.

Remember that, in all protest actions, you must act quickly. A protest filed more than a week after an award is sometimes rejected as not being timely. Your staff should call the purchasing office after a bid opening and every few days thereafter to determine how the award was made on a bid which you feel may require a protest action because of the nature of the other bids received.