Glossary
Bid validity period (bid acceptance period)
A bid validity period (Bindefrist) is the period during which a bidder is bound to its bid and the client can accept it. After it ends, the bidder is no longer bound.
In short
In US federal procurement, a bidder is bound if the bid is accepted within the stated number of calendar days. FAR 52.214-15 “Period for Acceptance of Bids” sets the default at “60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the bidder”.
Where the government needs a minimum, FAR 52.214-16 “Minimum Bid Acceptance Period” lets the contracting officer set one. “A bid allowing less than the Government’s minimum acceptance period will be rejected.”
The German term is Bindefrist. Under VOB/A 2019 § 10, the client sets a reasonable period during which bidders are bound to their bids. It should be as short as possible, and its end is stated as a calendar date.
Example
The submission deadline of a public tender is 3 March, and the Bindefrist ends on 2 April. An installer bids on prices from a wholesaler’s quote that is valid for 14 days. If the award comes on 30 March, the installer is bound to their prices, but the wholesaler’s quote has expired. After the bid opening, the client compares the bids in a bid tabulation.
What to watch for
Match the validity of supplier quotes to the Bindefrist of the tender, not to the submission date. Manufacturer quotes usually answer a Werksanfrage.
Ask for the end date of the Bindefrist. It is a calendar date.
If the award is delayed and the Bindefrist is extended, prices may need to be agreed again.
A US bid with a shorter period than the minimum is rejected.
Not to be confused with
Submission deadline (Angebotsfrist): the deadline for handing in bids. The Bindefrist begins when the Angebotsfrist ends.
Validity of a supplier quote: set by the supplier for its own quote, not by the client.
Construction period (Ausführungsfrist): the time for carrying out the work.
Related terms
Bid tabulation (bid tab)
A bid tabulation (Preisspiegel) is a table that sets the received bids side by side, usually item by item with unit prices and totals, so the client can compare them after the bids are opened.
Nebenangebot (alternative bid in a German tender)
A Nebenangebot is the bidder's own alternative proposal to a tender, for example with another design, method or product. The tender documents state whether it is allowed, and whether only together with a main offer.
Request for quotation (RFQ)
A request for quotation (RFQ) is a buyer’s request asking suppliers to make an offer for defined goods or services, with quantities and dates. The request itself does not bind. The offer does.
Werksanfrage (supplier quote request to the manufacturer)
A Werksanfrage is a wholesaler’s request to a manufacturer about the items of a project: project conditions, availability, delivery times, technical questions or an equivalent product.