Additive or Deductive Items (MAR 1989)

(a) The low bidder for purposes of award shall be the conforming responsible bidder offering the low aggregate amount for the first or base bid item, plus or minus (in order of priority listed in the Schedule) those additive or deductive bid items providing the most features of the work within the funds determined by the Government to be available before bids are opened. If addition of another bid item in the listed order of priority would make the award exceed those funds for all bidders, it shall be skipped and the next subsequent additive bid item in a lower amount shall be added for each bid if award on it can be made within the funds.

(b) An example for one bid is an amount available of $100,000, a bidder's base bid of $85,000, and four successive additives of $10,000, $8,000, $6,000, and $4,000. In this example, the aggregate amount of the bid for purposes of award would be $99,000 for the base bid plus the first and fourth additives, the second and third additives being skipped because either of them would cause the aggregate bid to exceed $100,000.

(c) All bids shall be evaluated on the basis of the same additive or deductive bid items. The listed order of priority must be followed only for determining the low bidder. After determination of the low bidder, award in the best interests of the Government may be made to that bidder on its base bid and any combination of its additive or deductive bid items for which funds are determined to be available at the time of the award, provided that award of the combination of bid items does not exceed the amount offered by any other conforming responsible bidder for the same combination of bid items.