Non-transparent bid opening procedures can include:
- Non-public bid opening;
- Not all bids are opened at the same time;
- Prices and required components are not read out or confirmed at bid opening;
- Improper acceptance of a late bid or late discounts;
- Changes to bids after other bid prices are known;
- Intimidation of bidders to prevent the submission of bids.
Such abuses can be used to manipulate bid prices or to exclude qualified bidders, often as the result of corruption.
This red flag can indicate the following schemes:
Click on the schemes listed above to see more information on each scheme, a more complete listing of their red flags and steps to determine if the schemes are actually present.