Submitting a proposal in the correct manner and on time are two of the most elemental aspects of any response to a solicitation. After all, if you don’t submit the proposal, there is zero chance that the agency will review your proposal. Unfortunately, every so often there are hiccups in the submission process that cause delays. And, as one disappointed offeror found out, in the vast majority of cases these delays will be held against the offeror and not attributed to the agency.
Continue readingTag Archives: solicitation deadlines
GAO: 15-Hour Bid Submission Deadline Was Unreasonable
A procuring agency acted improperly by allowing bidders a mere 15 hours to respond to an amended Invitation for Bids–especially given that most of those 15 hours were outside of ordinary working times.
In a recent bid protest decision, the GAO sustained an offeror’s protest of the 15-hour deadline, holding that the procuring agency had acted improperly by failing to give prospective bidders a reasonable time to prepare and submit amended bids.
GAO: 28-Day Proposal Period Was Reasonable
A 28-day period was sufficient time for offerors to prepare proposals in response to a solicitation for janitorial and mechanical services.
In a recent decision, the GAO held that, under the circumstances of the procurement, it was reasonable for the agency to allow fewer than 30 days to respond to the solicitation–and noted that the protester’s delayed search for teammates was a “significant reason” for the protester’s own difficulties in submitting a timely proposal.