CHOP states that the person receiving the bids should date-stamp, time-stamp and initial the bids.
 
Despite all the changes in process and technology in the past 50 years, one thing that hasn’t changed in the bid process is the need to determine whether a bid is received on time or not.
 
With potentially millions of dollars at stake, your bid documents should be clear about what constitutes receipt of bid. Depending on who you ask what receipt means, you will get a range of answers from being in the building to having the time stamped on the envelope.
 
Receipt of bids is closer to the latter than the former. Receipt should be separate and distinct from the recording of the receipt. Receipt should be when the bidder hands over the bid or deposits in a box or other container intended to receive the bid. Receipt should not be based on when the envelope is time stamped. If several bidders wait as long as possible and give you their bids at the same time, 5 seconds before the stated time of bid closing, it is unlikely that they will all be stamped with the time within those 5 seconds. Such delay in recording the receipt of the bid should not render a bid late.