The following are the “red flags” of leaking bid information:
- Inadequate bidding procedures, e.g., acceptance of late bids, non-public bid openings, taking breaks during the bid opening (to provide opportunity to share the content of certain bids and amend others), etc.
- The suspect bid closely tracks the project’s preferred solutions, budgets, estimates, etc.
- Winning bid is just under the next lowest bid
- Late bidder is the winning bidder
- A questionable “consultant” or “middleman” is involved in the bidding process
- Project officials and the favored bidder communicate (by email, etc.) or meet during the bidding period