Bid and Proposal Openings

Bid Openings

Bidders and the public are invited, but not required, to attend the formal opening of bids. Bid prices and other pertinent information from the Bid Form will be read aloud at these meetings. No decisions relating to the award of a contract or purchase order will be made at the bid opening. Any questions regarding the bid may be openly discussed at these meetings. It is the bidder's responsibility to ensure that the Bid Form and all requested documentation are delivered to the Procurement & Contracts Department prior to the date and time specified on the IFB. Prime bids which do not meet the minimum specifications of the IFB or do not contain requested information or documents may be disqualified.

Proposal Openings

Not a public opening. A few reasons for this are:

• The initial proposal may not require exact dollar amounts.
• Information submitted may be complicated and contain proprietary information which cannot be released to other agencies /vendors.
• Interview and direct negotiations may be required with firms submitting proposals.

The complex nature of proposals and the evaluation criteria may necessitate an Evaluation Committee whose members are from the requesting department, the Procurement & Contracts Department, and other personnel as needed. This committee will review all proposals received and follow the evaluation criteria as outlined in the RFP.