(a) Whenever a contract is awarded under a procedure providing for competitive bidding, but the contract is not to be awarded to the low bidder, the low bidder shall be given notice five working days prior to the award of the contract by telegram, electronic facsimile transmission, overnight courier, Internet transmission, or personal delivery.

(1) Upon written request by any bidder who has submitted a bid, notice of the proposed award shall be posted in a place accessible by the general public, including any Internet site identified in the invitation for bids at least five working days prior to awarding the contract.

(2) If, prior to the award, any bidder files a protest with the awarding state agency and the department protesting the award of the contract on the grounds that he or she is the lowest responsible bidder meeting the specifications for the contract, the contract shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or the department has decided the matter.

(3) Within five days after filing the protest, the protesting bidder shall file with the department and the awarding state agency a full and complete written statement specifying the grounds for the protest.

(b) Contracts awarded under the provisions of Section 10344 shall be awarded only after a notice of the proposed award has been posted in a place accessible by the general public, including any Internet site identified in the request for proposal, for five working days.

(1) If, prior to the award, any bidder files a protest with the awarding state agency and the department against the awarding of the contract, the contract shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or the department has decided the matter.

(2) Within five days after filing the protest, the protesting bidder shall file with the department and awarding state agency a full and complete written statement specifying the grounds for the protest. Protests shall be limited to the following grounds:

(A) The state agency failed to follow the procedures specified in either subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 10344.

(B) The state agency failed to apply correctly the standards for reviewing the format requirements or evaluating the proposals as specified in the request for proposal.

(C) The state agency used the evaluation and selection procedure in subdivision (b) of Section 10344, but is proposing to award the contract to a bidder other than the lowest responsible bidder.

(D) The state agency used the evaluation and selection procedure in subdivision (c) of Section 10344, but failed to follow the methods for evaluating and scoring the proposals specified in the request for proposal.

(E) The state agency used the evaluation and selection procedure in subdivision (c) of Section 10344, but is proposing to award the contract to a bidder other than the bidder given the highest score by the state agency evaluation committee.

(c) The department shall establish written procedures for deciding protests under this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 759, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2001.)