Within the CSI / CDT framework, bid shopping is the practice of a prime bidder (typically a general contractor) using one subcontractor’s price to pressure that subcontractor or competitors into lowering their price after bids have been received. CSI treats this as an unethical and undesirable practice that increases risk and undermines fair competition in the procurement process.
Practices that help minimize bid shopping include:
Bid listing and bid depository provisions (Option A):Some public agencies require that the general contractor list major subcontractors with the bid or use a bid depository system. These mechanisms are intended specifically to discourage bid shopping by locking in the subcontractors named at bid time and making the process more transparent.
Requiring bidders to provide a list of intended subcontractors with their bid (Option B):This is another form of sub-bid listing. By compelling the prime bidder to identify subcontractors at bid submission, it restricts their ability to shop sub-bids afterward, thereby minimizing the risk of bid shopping.
Subcontractors withholding their prices until close to bid time (Option C):While not ideal from a coordination standpoint, this is a common subcontractor strategy in a competitive environment to reduce the time window during which a prime contractor can use their number to shop for a lower price. This can mitigate bid shopping risk from the subcontractor’s perspective.
By contrast:
D. The bidder can ask the subcontractor to reevaluate their prices to find a lower price after the subcontractor has submitted their price.This is essentially a description of bid shopping behavior. Asking a subcontractor to “re-evaluate” to get a lower price after their number has been used to compile the bid (especially when using other subs’ prices as leverage) is exactly what public procurement provisions try to prevent. This does not minimize the risk of bid shopping; it is bid shopping.
Therefore, the only option that clearly does not reduce or prevent bid shopping is D.
Relevant CSI-aligned references (no URLs):
CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Procurement and Bidding chapters (discussion of competitive bidding ethics and bid shopping).
CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – Procurement and bidding procedures and ethical practices in public work.
