Bid opening
Also called: public bid opening, bid open date, bid reading, sealed bid opening
A bid opening is the scheduled moment when sealed bids are opened and read aloud or recorded, in public, after which no bid may be changed and late bids are rejected.
Federal bid openings follow FAR 14.402 and the abstract of bids is recorded under FAR 14.403; the late bid rule is FAR 14.304. State and local openings follow the state procurement code and are usually open to the public, in person or online, with the results posted as a bid tabulation. The low bid is then checked for responsiveness (did it follow the form) and the low bidder for responsibility (can they perform) before award. Negotiated procurements and RFPs have no public opening; proposals are opened privately and only the award is announced.
What to check: the exact date, time and time zone, the delivery method (a physical sealed envelope still exists in many counties), whether electronic bids need to be submitted early to clear the portal, the acknowledgment of amendments inside the bid, and whether you may attend. Attend your first few; you learn who bids and how they price.
What it is not: the award. Apparent low bidder is a status, not a contract, and a mistake in bid claim or a protest can change the outcome.
See also: Invitation for Bid (IFB), Bid tabulation, Bid bond, Amendment and the Q&A period
Questions that use this term
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