OAR 137-049-0430: Negotiation When Bids Exceed Cost Estimate

(1) Generally. In accordance with ORS 279C.340, if all Responsive Bids from Responsible Bidders on a competitively Bid Project exceed the Contracting Agency's Cost Estimate, prior to Contract Award the Contracting Agency may negotiate Value Engineering and Other Options with the Responsible Bidder submitting the lowest, Responsive Bid in an attempt to bring the Project within the Contracting Agency's Cost Estimate. The subcontractor disclosure and substitution requirements of OAR 137-049-0360 do not apply to negotiations under this rule. (2) Definitions. The following definitions apply to this administrative rule: (a) "Cost Estimate" means the Contracting Agency's most recent pre-Bid, good faith assessment of anticipated Contract costs, consisting either of an estimate of an architect, engineer or other qualified professional, or confidential cost calculation work sheets, where available, and otherwise consisting of formal planning or budgetary documents. (b) "Other Options" means those items generally considered appropriate for negotiation in the RFP process, relating to the details of Contract performance as specified in OAR 137-049-0650, but excluding any material requirements previously announced in the solicitation process that would likely affect the field of competition. (c) "Project" means a Public Improvement. (d) "Value Engineering" means the identification of alternative methods, materials or systems which provide for comparable function at reduced initial or life-time cost. It includes proposed changes to the plans, Specifications, or other Contract requirements which may be made, consistent with industry practice, under the original Contract by mutual agreement in order to take advantage of potential cost savings without impairing the essential functions or characteristics of the Public Improvement. Cost savings include those resulting from life cycle costing, which may either increase or decrease absolute costs over varying time periods. (3) Rejection of Bids. In determining whether all Responsive Bids from Responsible Bidders exceed the Cost Estimate, only those Bids that have been formally rejected, or Bids from Bidders who have been formally disqualified by the Contracting Agency, shall be excluded from consideration. (4) Scope of Negotiations. Contracting Agencies shall not proceed with Contract Award if the scope of the Project is significantly changed from the original Bid. The scope is considered to have been significantly changed if the pool of competition would likely have been affected by the change; that is, if other Bidders would have been expected by the Contracting Agency to participate in the Bidding process had the change been made during the solicitation process rather than during negotiation. This rule shall not be construed to prohibit resolicitation of trade subcontracts. (5) Discontinuing Negotiations. The Contracting Agency may discontinue negotiations at any time, and shall do so if it appears to the Contracting Agency that the apparent low Bidder is not negotiating in good faith or fails to share cost and pricing information upon request. Failure to rebid any portion of the project, or to obtain subcontractor pricing information upon request, shall be considered a lack of good faith. (6) Limitation. Negotiations may be undertaken only with the lowest Responsive, Responsible Bidder pursuant to ORS 279C.340. That statute does not provide any additional authority to further negotiate with Bidders next in line for Contract Award. (7) Public Records. To the extent that a Bidder's records used in Contract negotiations under ORS 279C.340 are public records, they are exempt from disclosure until after the negotiated Contract has been awarded or the negotiation process has been terminated, at which time they are subject to disclosure pursuant to the provisions of the Oregon Public Records Law, ORS 192.311 through 192.478.