Section 25B: Competitive negotiations

25B. Competitive negotiations (1) A public body may engage in competitive negotiations where – (a) there is an urgent need for the subject matter of the procurement and engaging in open advertised bidding or any other competitive method of procurement would be impractical and time-consuming, provided that the circumstances giving rise to the urgency were not foreseeable by the public body or was not the result of any dilatory conduct on the part of the public body; (b) due to a catastrophe, there is an urgent need for the subject matter of the procurement and open advertised bidding or any other competitive method of procurement would be impractical and time-consuming; (c) where all the bids received for an open advertised bidding or restricted bidding are classed as irregular or unacceptable; (d) a public body determines that the use of any other competitive method of procurement is not appropriate for the protection of the essential security interests of Mauritius; or (e) it is required as a complementary procedure, because – (i) there is a tie in the lowest evaluated price by 2 or more bidders; Acts 2021 429 (ii) there is a tie in the highest combined score points; or (iii) the lowest evaluated price substantially exceeds the estimated cost. (2) (a) For the purpose of subsection (1)(e), the (cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:88)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:71)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:177) (i) the bidders affected by the tie; or (ii) the bidders that quoted prices which are substantially above the estimated cost. (b) Where bidders quoted above the (cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:88)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:71)(cid:92) (cid:3) shall – (i) reveal the estimated cost to the bidders; and (ii) limit its invitation to bidders whose evaluated prices are not more than 25 per cent above the estimated cost. (3) In subsection (1)(c) – (a) “irregular”, in relation to a bid, means that – (i) the bid does not comply with the bidding documents; (ii) there is evidence of collusion or corruption; or (iii) the bid is abnormally low; (b) “unacceptable”, in relation to a bid, means that – (i) the bid was submitted by a bidder who does not have the required (cid:84)(cid:88)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:30)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:85) 430 Acts 2021 (ii) the price quoted substantially exceeds the updated cost estimate.