Extending the bid validity period

Extending the bid validity period means obtaining a bidder's agreement to keep its bid open for acceptance beyond the validity period originally specified in the solicitation. The extension gives the buyer more time to continue evaluating bids and completing approvals before it accepts one.

Bid validity is the period during which a submitted bid stays binding or available for acceptance. When evaluation or internal approvals run longer than planned, the buyer asks bidders in writing to extend that period. Related terms include tender validity period, offer validity period and extension of validity.

How bid validity periods are set

NATO's Procurement Manual states that bids must remain valid for the period specified in the solicitation. It says that period commonly ranges from 60 to 180 days, depending on the circumstances. The manual also says an offer with a shorter validity period than requested should be rejected as non-responsive. You can read the rule in the NATO Procurement Manual.

The validity period is therefore a requirement of the bid itself. A bidder that cuts it short risks being screened out, and a bidder that wants to stay in the competition after the period ends must agree to extend it.

How it differs from extending the closing date

An extension of validity is not an extension of the bid closing date. A closing date extension moves the deadline for submitting bids, and NATO states that any such extension must be communicated to all invitees. A validity extension happens after bids have been submitted. It concerns how long those submitted bids remain available for acceptance, not when bids are due.

How Canadian federal solicitations handle the request

Canadian federal solicitations commonly reserve the Crown's right to request an extension from bidders in writing. A Public Services and Procurement Canada invitation to tender on CanadaBuys provides that Canada may seek an extension and that bidders may accept or reject it in writing. If all bidders accept, Canada may continue immediately with bid evaluation and its approvals processes. If not all bidders accept, Canada may either continue evaluating the bids of those that accepted or cancel the invitation to tender. The wording appears in this CanadaBuys invitation to tender.

An archived Government of Canada standard-instructions clause works the same way. It required Canada to request the extension from responsive bidders in writing at least three days before the end of the bid validity period. See the archived standard instructions for goods and services competitive requirements.

How NATO Allied Command Transformation handles it

NATO Allied Command Transformation solicitations set an initial validity period of 120 days. They allow the bidder to grant or deny an extension, and they may treat a denial as withdrawal of the bid. Examples include RFP026060 and IFIB025045. Suppliers bidding on Invitations for International Bidding should read the validity clause closely, because refusing can end their participation.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

Check the validity period in every solicitation before you submit, and do not offer a shorter one than requested. If the buyer sends a written extension request, respond by the stated deadline and say clearly whether you accept or reject it. Under the cited Canadian clause, acceptance is what lets the buyer keep evaluating your bid. Confirm that your pricing, staffing and subcontractor commitments can hold for the longer period before you agree. A silent or late reply leaves your position unclear, and a refusal can remove you from the evaluation.