Para 5.1.5 — GOODS_MANUAL

5.1.6 Extension of Deadline of Bid Submission 1. To give sufficient time to bidders to prepare and submit their bids, the Procuring entity may suo-moto or based on justifiable request of bidder

(s) or due to significant modification of tender documents (as per para 5.1.5 above), extend the time and date of submission of tenders suitably (not less than three (3) days), along with suitable changes in the corresponding time-frames for receipt of tender, bid validity period etc and validity period of the corresponding EMD/bid security. Depending on the situation, such an amendment may also need fresh publication adopting the same procedure as for publication of the original tender enquiry.

2. Auto-Extension of Bids – in case of lack of Response: The e-Procurement portal/ GeM should not provide anybody, including the Procuring Entity, with the bid count before the tender opening time, even at their request. The eProcurement portal/ GeM may facilitate the Procuring Entity in specifying the minimum number of bids considered sufficient and the pre-specified number of days for automatic extension of bid opening (not less than 7 days) at the time of tender upload. The system shall declare in the tender details that in case of low competition (without specifying the number), the tender closing time shall be automatically extended by the specified number of days. If bids received till the bid opening time are less than the specified minimum bids, the system should automatically extend (only once) the tender opening by the specified number of days without seeking any input from or sharing any information with anyone, including the Procuring Entity. Purchasers and bidders shall only be informed that due to less competition, the tender closing time has been extended up to (date and time). However, this automatic extension of bid opening shall be done only once, not repeatedly. If a Procuring Entity wants to go ahead even with low competition (e.g., due to urgency), they may mention ‘one’ as the minimum bid. So that if no bid is received, the tender is automatically extended; otherwise, it is not. GeM and eProcurement portals shall update their systems accordingly.

5.1.5 Amendment of Tender Documents (Rule 173

(iii) of GFR 2017) At any time prior to the date of submission of bids, the procuring entity may, Suo-moto or in response to a clarification sought by a prospective bidder (directly or in a pre-bid conference), amend tender documents by issuing a corrigendum. Copies of such amendment / modification should be uploaded on the E-publishing portal and Procuring Entity’s own website. In case of off-line tenders, the copies of such amendment / modification are to be simultaneously despatched, free of cost, by registered/speed post/courier/e-mail, to all the parties who have already purchased the tender documents and copies of such amendments are also to be prominently attached in the unsold sets of the tender documents (which are available for sale). When the amendment/modification changes the requirement significantly and /or when there is not much time left for the bidders to respond to such amendments and prepare a revised tender, the time and date of submission of tenders are also to be suitably extended (not less than 3 days) as per para 5.1.6 below.