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6.9    Bid Opening

The bid opening process shall be carried out as follows: 

A.  Time and Place Certainty. Each bid must be dated and time-stamped immediately upon receipt by the PHA. Sealed bids should be stored in a locked bid box, cabinet, or safe to ensure that they are not opened or mishandled prior to the bid opening.  A PHA staff person should standby just before the deadline to see that bids received at the proper location are date- and time-stamped expeditiously. Sealed bids received after the time specified in the IFB should be recorded as a late bid and kept unopened in the contract file. A late bid received before the award is made may only be considered in accordance with the procedures listed in the form HUD-5369, Item 5, or form HUD-5369-B, Item 6.

B.   Public Bid Opening Process. To ensure fairness in the award process, anyone is permitted to attend the bid opening. Bids shall be publicly opened on the scheduled date and time shown in the solicitation. The bid opening official (usually the Contracting Officer) reads aloud the bidders’ names and the bid prices. This information is recorded and may be made available for public inspection. No commitment or statement regarding contract award should be made to any bidder at the bid opening.

C.  Recording the Bids. As bids are publicly opened and read aloud, an abstract (sometimes referred to as a tabulation) of all bids is prepared showing the name of each bidder and their bid prices including alternates, if any. This abstract becomes part of the official contract file. The abstract is public information and a copy may be sent to interested parties when requested.