When does a solicitation die?

[rsenn]

In a scenario where the Government requests proposals to be valid for 120 days, then receives some proposals, and evaluates them until the 120 days has come and gone, is the procurment effort finished, dying without an award being made?

I experience this a while back, when the Government then went to the offerors and asked them to extend their proposals and respond to items for negotiation.

While my company did so, it just felt wrong to me, especially when I considered what might be the case in a circumstance where we had not proposed but might if the opportunity were dead and reinstated as a new opportunity with a new solicitation and plenty of time to respond.  Someday, that may be the case.

So, when does a solicitation die?  Did the KO do wrong be asking for extensions and otherwise continuing after the validity date had come and gone?

[Guest Vern Edwards]

The proper term is "acceptance period." What you described is quite common and not inherently illegal or "wrong" in any way. See Global Automotive, Inc., GAO Dec. B-406828, 2012 CPD ¶ 228:

Quote

Agency properly eliminated the protester's proposal from award consideration where the protester expressly refused to extend its proposal acceptance period as requested and the proposal could not be revived because it would compromise the integrity of the competitive bidding system.

People and animals die, not solicitations. "Acceptance periods" might expire, but they can be extended.