Opinion ID: 378034
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Adequacy of the Offer

Text: 4 CIS argues that its response to the Notice Inviting Bids was too ambiguous and sketchy to constitute a valid offer, and that the School District's purported acceptance therefore created no contract. 5 The Notice Inviting Bids specified that the School District desired an IBM System 370/135 or 370/145, or any equivalent system compatible with the School District's existing software and peripherals. The major components of such systems are IBM central processing units 3135 and 3145, respectively. 6 While it should have, CIS's bid did not contain a copy of every page of the Notice Inviting Bids. Its bid consisted of four pages: an equal-opportunity certificate, the first page of the official bid form, a letter specifying CIS's bid, and a signature page. The letter stated that 7 CIS Corp. is prepared to . . . 8 1. Deliver and install one of the required IBM configurations for the purchase price quoted below: 3135 HG $206,758. (S/N 62063) 9 or 3145 HG2 332,939. (S/N 10396) 10 2. The above serial numbers are subject to prior sale. 11 6. Delivery and installation can be accomplished within a July timeframe. 12 Thank you for the opportunity to submit our offer. 13 The official bid form page contained in CIS's bid included the following language: 14 Having carefully examined this Bid Form, and the Notice Inviting Bids, General Conditions and Addenda described herein, we herewith submit the following bid for Data Processing Equipment Bid # 327. 15 The undersigned hereby proposes and agrees to furnish Data Processing Equipment as listed on the attached schedule. It is understood that the Board of Trustees reserves the right to accept this proposal either in whole or in part. 16 This proposal will remain valid for a period of 60 calendar days after the date specified for the receipt of bids. 17 CIS clearly was purporting to make a formal offer in response to the bid invitation, and was not making a mere tentative proposal. Although it is true that CIS failed to return all the bid form documents, the School District had stated in the Notice Inviting Bids (which CIS formally acknowledged reading) that it reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any irregularity therein. Here the School District waived the irregularity. 18 The language of the official bid form page included in CIS's bid gave the School District the option of accepting the proposal either in whole or in part. Thus the School District's formal acceptance at the May 24 school board meeting of one of the two options offered by CIS (the 3145 HG2) indicates no defect in either the offer or the acceptance. The formal acceptance was recorded in the minutes of the meeting, and CIS was promptly notified by telephone of the acceptance. 19 In sum, CIS's bid sufficiently stated the essential terms of the contract, and unquestionably constituted a valid offer.