Should Government agencies be required to re-call tenders/quotations when only one bid has been received?

Government agencies are advised to take the following measures to increase the likelihood that they will receive an adequate number of competitive bids:

• Depending on the nature of procurement, giving sufficient time for suppliers to respond to the invitation to quote/tender - this could be beyond the minimum opening period stipulated for quotations and tenders.
  
  

• Ensuring that requirements are not over-specified, so as not to limit competition.
  
  

• Where necessary, alerting suppliers to opportunities published on GeBIZ.
  
  

An agency that has taken the above measures, and yet still receives only one bid, is not required to reject the single bid as it could still be competitive.

Government agencies must assess the reasonableness of the bids regardless of whether a single bid or several bids have been received.

When recommending the award of a quotation/tender based on a single bid, officers are required to justify to the Approving Authority why the single bid is considered competitive or reflective of fair market value. For example, they may have performed independent checks or consulted experienced buyers.

If no reasonable bid has been received, agencies may call for a fresh quotation/tender, after revising their requirements, if necessary.