In order to be considered a “responsive bidder,” meaning a bidder who’s eligible for the contract award, the proposal must be received by the Government on time. What is the definition of “on time”? That is spelled out in Box 9 of the first page of the solicitation (the SF33) and reiterated (usually with more detail) in Section L of the RFP.
That is the definition of “on time.” Anything else is late.
There are many nightmare scenarios….the Post Office, UPS, or FedEx lost it. Or it was dropped off and the Government sent it to an X-ray facility which took 3 days. Or we hit the “Send” tab only to see “Handshake Failure” on our screen. Yes, there can be complications outside of the bidder’s control, which can affect the delivery. However, the FAR and the GAO have repeatedly emphasized, that it is the Offeror’s responsibility to deliver the proposal on time. Technical or logistic issues are a fact of life, and it is up to the offeror to work through these challenges.
Some good habits: Always make sure it’s clearly understood where and when delivery needs to happen. Is it on the Contracting Officer’s desk, their email inbox, or the Point of Entry of the Government facility? These details should be included in Section L, however if there’s any uncertainty, contact the C.O. for clarification.
Second, if submitting electronically, make sure your two systems “talk” to each other ahead of time. The Government uses various malware and virus blocking packages, and navigating through them can be a hassle. If the C.O. doesn’t ask for it in the RFP, go ahead and contact them and see if you can send a test package first.
Third, waiting until the last minute is dangerous, and foolish. Plan for things to go wrong, and leave yourself some cushion for recovery.