(A) Publication of notices.
(1) Invitation for bids. All notices of invitation for bids shall be published in accordance with I.C. 5-3-1. The Purchasing Agent shall schedule the publication and any statutorily required posting of notice to provide a reasonable amount of time for preparation and submission of bids. The notice will be published two times, at least one week apart. The second publication must occur at least ten days prior to the date the bids will be opened.
(2) Request for proposals and quotes. All notices of request for proposals and quotes shall be published in accordance with I.C. 5-3-1. The Purchasing Agent shall schedule the publication and any statutorily required posting of notice to provide a reasonable amount of time for preparation and submission of proposals and quotes. The notice will be published two times, at least one week apart. The second publication must occur at least seven days prior to the date the proposals and quotes will be opened.
(3) Request for specifications.
(a) All notices of request for specifications shall be published in accordance with I.C. 5-3-1. The Purchasing Agent shall schedule the publication and any statutorily required posting of notice to provide a reasonable amount of time for preparation and submission of proposals and quotes. The notice will be published two times, at least one week apart.
(b) The second publication must occur at least seven days prior to the date the proposals and quotes will be opened.
(4) Electronic notices. Whenever a notice or other material, including specifications, an invitation for bids, request for proposals and quotes or request for specifications, is sent by mail, the Purchasing Agent may also send the notice or other material by electronic means; provided that, the transmission of the information is at least as efficient as mailing the information.
(B) Receiving offers.
(1) Electronic receipt of offers. The Purchasing Agent may receive electronic offers in response to an invitation to bid, request for proposals and quotes, or request for specifications only if:
(a) The solicitation includes the procedure for electronic transmission of the offer; and
(b) The Purchasing Agent receives the offer on a fax machine or other system with a security feature that protects the contents of an electronic offer with the same degree of protection as provided to an offer not transmitted electronically.
(2) Opening of offers.
(a) Bids received in response to an invitation for bids must be opened publicly in the presence of at least one or more witnesses at the time and place designated in the invitation for bids.
(b) Proposals and quotes received in response to a request for proposals and quotes must be opened so as to avoid disclosure of the contents to competing offerers during the process of negotiation.
(c) Proposals and quotes received in response to a request for specifications may be opened as specified in the request for specifications.
(3) Correction and withdrawal of bids.
(a) An offerer may correct inadvertent errors in a bid up to the time at which bids will be opened by supplementing the erroneous bid and submitting a revised bid. A bidder may not supplement an inadvertently erroneous bid after the time at which the bids were opened.
(b) A bidder may withdraw a bid containing inadvertent errors up to the time at which bids will be opened and for a period of not more than 24 hours after the time at which the bids were opened.
(4) Cancellation of solicitation. When the Clerk-Treasurer makes a written determination that it is in the town’s best interests, the Clerk-Treasurer may cancel a solicitation or reject all offers; provided that, the solicitation included information concerning the procedure for cancellation.
(Prior Code, § 33.16) (Res. 1998-1, passed 7-7-1998)