Vendor says low bid disqualified over typographical error; county says award already made

A representative for Now Automotive Equipment Corp. told the Sumner County Financial Management Committee on Dec. 3 that his company was the apparent low bidder on a county procurement but was disqualified for a single-letter typo in a part number.

"Every other specification was met," Cole Stern said after introducing himself on Zoom. He said his bid was rejected over what he characterized as an immaterial typographical error and that the county's notice of award contained a misspelling of the awarded vendor's name.

The law director and committee members questioned whether the typo corresponded to an alternate valid part number and asked whether the vendor had been made aware of protest procedures. The vendor said a brochure accompanying the bid showed multiple part numbers as configurations and argued the error could have been treated as a waiver of informality.

The chair told the vendor the committee had already voted at the previous meeting to proceed with the other bidder but would review county procurement procedures and have the finance department look into whether existing protest processes were adequate. No motion to reopen the award was made during the meeting.