Authored by: Darren Rowles and Scott Cahalan In a previous article we discussed the requirement that, if it awards a public works contract, a public entity in the State of Georgia must award the contract to the “lowest responsible and responsive bidder,” unless an exception to this requirement applies. This article addresses what it means to be a “responsive bidder.” While responsibleness focuses on the bidder or proposer, responsiveness focuses on the bid or proposal. Specifically, responsiveness requires that a bid or proposal respond and conform to the requirements of the invitation for bids or request for proposals (the “Bid… Read more
Tag: responsible bidder
Local Government Procurement Laws – Who the Heck is a “Responsible Bidder”?
All state and local government public works construction projects must follow the public bidding and procurement laws, which seek to protect the public against the squandering of public funds and prevent abuses such as fraud, waste, and favoritism. Local governments[i] are required to provide public notice and to competitively award public works construction contracts,[ii] unless an exception applies, such as where the estimated cost of the project will be less than $100,000.[iii] A contractor forfeits its right to payment if it performs work knowing that the local government did not follow the public procurement laws. Local governments who take competitive… Read more