Writing a bid for a more expensive commodity has practical implications which the purchasing agent can overcome, but the cost difference needs to be known up front and be anticipated during bid development. Purchasing agents need to know if a proposed alternative is likely to cost more. Performance matters because the whole point of procurement is to purchase quality products. Alternative products should meet the same performance standards as conventional purchases. Purchasing agents need to know if a proposed alternative is likely to meet conventional standards.
Competition is essential in the procurement of alternative products.
Specifications need to be written such that more than one or two vendors can supply the desired product. Determining a reasonable specification can be extremely time consuming in new commodity areas with little standardization. Purchasing agents need to identify likely bidders in order to make sure that they are on the bid list. Purchasing agents need to know if a proposed alternative is likely to be offered by conventional vendors, or if not, purchasers need to know what vendors would be likely to supply the alternative. Availability is always a serious concern in government procurement, but is especially important when considering new, alternative products.