Bid upload error forces rebid of downtown infrastructure contract; city urges early or hand‑delivered submissions
April 29, 2026 | Keene Municipal Services, Facilities & Infrastructure Committee, Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire
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City staff reopened bids for the downtown infrastructure project after a prospective bidder reported it could not upload its proposal to the procurement portal before the submission deadline.
City Engineer Brian Roof said staff reviewed the portal and found no system errors but chose, after consulting purchasing and the city attorney, to reject the late submission and repost the solicitation for a 10‑day bid period to preserve grant and funding requirements. The new bid opening was set for May 8 at 2 p.m.
"We were notified four minutes after the official bid submission deadline by a prospective bidder that they weren't able to upload their bid to our public purchase platform," Roof said. The purchasing manager and assistant city attorney reviewed options and the project was reposted rather than accepting the late file.
Staff urged bidders to avoid last‑minute uploads because subcontractor pricing and volatile materials costs mean many firms wait until the last day to finalize numbers. For this project, which requires many subcontractors, Roof recommended bidders either upload earlier in the day or hand‑deliver paper copies to avoid portal failures.
The committee accepted the update as informational; staff said they will reach out to plan holders with guidance and also follow up with the bidder who reported the problem to confirm there are no lingering technical issues.
What happens next: bid opening scheduled for May 8 at 2 p.m.; if bids are undersubscribed or out of budget the city may consider rebidding in the fall and revise phasing, which could delay construction into the following season.
City Engineer Brian Roof said staff reviewed the portal and found no system errors but chose, after consulting purchasing and the city attorney, to reject the late submission and repost the solicitation for a 10‑day bid period to preserve grant and funding requirements. The new bid opening was set for May 8 at 2 p.m.
"We were notified four minutes after the official bid submission deadline by a prospective bidder that they weren't able to upload their bid to our public purchase platform," Roof said. The purchasing manager and assistant city attorney reviewed options and the project was reposted rather than accepting the late file.
Staff urged bidders to avoid last‑minute uploads because subcontractor pricing and volatile materials costs mean many firms wait until the last day to finalize numbers. For this project, which requires many subcontractors, Roof recommended bidders either upload earlier in the day or hand‑deliver paper copies to avoid portal failures.
The committee accepted the update as informational; staff said they will reach out to plan holders with guidance and also follow up with the bidder who reported the problem to confirm there are no lingering technical issues.
What happens next: bid opening scheduled for May 8 at 2 p.m.; if bids are undersubscribed or out of budget the city may consider rebidding in the fall and revise phasing, which could delay construction into the following season.
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