Opinion ID: 1286550
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reduction of Proposed Price

Text: After evaluating the proposals received, UAF sent a form letter to those offerors within the competitive range for further consideration. This June 24, 1993 letter requested a confirmation of the price schedule from the original proposal and further informed these offerors that [a]s soon as the evaluation is completed you will be advised of the results. In addition, you are notified that additional clarification or information and a best and final offer may be requested at a later date. (Emphasis added.) Upon receipt of this letter, Royal amended its proposal by further reducing the price on its price schedule, without awaiting a request by UAF for a best and final offer. Gunderson argues that the University did not provide any of the other offerors an opportunity to make a best and final offer at a later date. Gunderson also contends that Royal's price reduction violated University PR & P 3-081. [7] As UAF points out, changes in price after the proposal deadline are expressly permitted under the University's competitive sealed proposals procedure. P-3-061(a) provides: The competitive sealed proposals method differs from competitive sealed bidding in two important ways. First, it permits discussions with competing offerors and changes in their proposals including price; and second, it allows comparative subjective evaluations to be made when determining acceptable proposals for negotiation and award of the contract. The ability of offerors to make price adjustments is further recognized under P-3-061(b): Under competitive sealed proposals, revisions in a proposal, including prices, may be made after proposals are opened. Furthermore, Royal's submission was not an untimely modification to the RFP but instead was a response to a letter requesting verification of its proposal. There is no support for Gunderson's assertion that he was not given the same opportunity to adjust his price as was given to the other proposers. [8] The University representative at the pre-proposal conference informed all of the potential proposers that the University had the right to obtain clarifications and enter into negotiations with the proposers after the proposal deadline. Gunderson was further advised in a letter that the alternative procedure of requesting best and final offers was optional. The chief procurement officer found that the University did not accept a late modification but had merely allowed a change in price expressly permitted by P-3-061(b). The chief procurement officer's decision did not constitute an abuse of discretion, and the decision has a reasonable basis in the law. [9]