The government has a lot of leeway to accept late bids but very little obligation to do so. Unless otherwise specified, offers can be withdrawn or changed in the same manner in which they were originally submitted. And an offer can be changed or withdrawn at any time as long as the recipient has notice before he relies on the bid to his detriment. In the situation I discussed at the beginning of this column, the sub originally called in his bid to all the generals and confirmed it with a fax. When he found the error, he again went through this same process.
Bidding is a process full of opportunities for errors.
I always caution owners and generals that forcing someone to perform based on a bid that is mistaken is a good way to invite problems. Human nature frequently causes people to cut corners if they are losing money. Nevertheless, people preparing bids need to know that they will generally end up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop if they make a mistake, so it is in their interests to be extra careful. Unions Marketing Technology Mgmt.