2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 11 - Public Finance › Chapter 35 - South Carolina Consolidated Procurement Code › Section 11-35-1529. Competitive online bidding.

(1) Conditions for Use. When the procurement officer determines in writing that on-line bidding is more advantageous than competitive sealed bidding, a contract may be entered into by competitive on-line bidding, subject to the provisions of Section 11-35-1520 and the ensuing regulations, unless otherwise provided in this section.
(2) Public Notice. Adequate public notice of the request for the solicitation must be given in the same manner as provided in Section 11-35-1520(3).
(3) Bidding Process. The solicitation must designate both an Opening Date and Time and a Closing Date and Time. The Closing Date and Time need not be a fixed point in time, but may remain dependent on a variable specified in the solicitation. At the Opening Date and Time, the State must begin accepting real-time electronic bids. The solicitation must remain open until the Closing Date and Time. Before the Opening Date and Time, the State shall require bidders to register, shall register only responsible bidders, and, as a part of that registration, require bidders to agree to any terms, conditions, or other requirements of the solicitation. If less than two bidders are registered, the solicitation must be canceled. Following receipt of the first bid after the Opening Date and Time, the lowest bid price must be posted electronically to the Internet and updated on a real-time basis. At any time before the Closing Date and Time, a bidder may lower the price of its bid, except that after Opening Date and Time, a bidder may not lower its price unless that price is below the then lowest bid. Bid prices may not be increased after Opening Date and Time. Except for bid prices, bids may be modified only as otherwise allowed by this code. A bid may be withdrawn only in compliance with Section 11-35-1520. If a bid is withdrawn, a later bid submitted by the same bidder may not be for a higher price. If the lowest responsive bid is withdrawn after the Closing Date and Time, the State may cancel the solicitation in accordance with this code or reopen electronic bidding to all pre-existing bidders by giving adequate notice to all pre-existing bidders of both the new Opening Date and Time and the new Closing Date and Time. Notice that electronic bidding will be reopened must be given as specified in the solicitation.
(4) Receipt and Safeguarding of Bids. Other than price, any information provided to the State by a bidder must be safeguarded as required by Section 11-35-1520(4).
(5) Provisions Not to Apply. Section 11-35-1524 and paragraph (5) (Bid Opening) of Section 11-35-1520 do not apply to solicitations issued pursuant to this section.
HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 387, Part II, Section 100B; 2019 Act No. 41 (S.530), Section 21, eff May 13, 2019.
Editor's Note
2019 Act No. 41, Section 80, provides as follows:
"SECTION 80. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and applies to solicitations issued after that date."
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 41, Section 21, in (1), in the second sentence, substituted "When the procurement officer" for "When a purchasing agency" and "competitive sealed bidding" for "other procurement methods provided by this code", and inserted "in writing"; inserted (2), relating to public notice, and redesignated (2) to (4) as (3) to (5); and in (3), in the sixth sentence, substituted "Before the Opening Date and Time, the State shall require bidders to register, shall register only responsible bidders," for "The State may require bidders to register before the Opening Date and Time" and inserted "require bidders", inserted the seventh sentence, in the thirteenth sentence, inserted "adequate", and made a nonsubstantive change.