“Best value” means the most advantageous offer determined by evaluating and comparing all relevant criteria in addition to price so that the offer meeting the overall combination that best serves the State is selected. These criteria may include, in addition to others, the total cost of ownership, performance history of the vendor, quality of goods, services, or construction, delivery, and proposed technical performance.

(a) Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, or contractor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest to the chief procurement officer or a designee as specified in the solicitation. Except as provided in sections 103D-303 and 103D-304, a protest shall be submitted in writing within five working days after the aggrieved person knows or should have known of the facts giving rise thereto; provided that a protest of an award or proposed award shall in any event be submitted in writing within five working days after the posting of award of the contract under section 103D-302 or 103D-303, if no request for debriefing has been made, as applicable; provided further that no protest based upon the content of the solicitation shall be considered unless it is submitted in writing prior to the date set for the receipt of offers.
(b) The chief procurement officer or a designee, prior to the commencement of an administrative proceeding under section 103D-709 or an action in court pursuant to section 103D-710, may settle and resolve a protest concerning the solicitation or award of a contract. This authority shall be exercised in accordance with rules adopted by the policy board.
(c) If the protest is not resolved by mutual agreement, the chief procurement officer or a designee shall promptly issue a decision in writing to uphold or deny the protest. The decision shall:
(1) State the reasons for the action taken; and
(2) Inform the protestor of the protestor’s right to an administrative proceeding as provided in this part, if applicable.
(d) A copy of the decision under subsection (c) shall be mailed or otherwise furnished immediately to the protestor and any other party intervening.
(e) A decision under subsection (c) shall be final and conclusive, unless any person adversely affected by the decision commences an administrative proceeding under section 103D-709.
(f) In the event of a timely protest under subsection (a), no further action shall be taken on the solicitation or the award of the contract until the chief procurement officer makes a written determination that the award of the contract without delay is necessary to protect substantial interests of the State.
(g) In addition to any other relief, when a protest is sustained and the protestor should have been awarded the contract under the solicitation but is not, then the protestor shall be entitled to the actual costs reasonably incurred in connection with the solicitation, including bid or proposal preparation costs but not attorney’s fees.

“Responsive bidder” means a person who has submitted a bid which conforms in all material respects to the invitation for bids.

(a) Unless the policy board, by rules, specifies otherwise, before submitting an offer, a prospective offeror, not less than ten calendar days prior to the day designated for opening offers, shall give written notice of the intention to submit an offer to the procurement officer responsible for that particular procurement.
(b) Whether or not an intention to bid is required, the procurement officer shall determine whether the prospective offeror has the financial ability, resources, skills, capability, and business integrity necessary to perform the work. For this purpose, the officer, in the officer’s discretion, may require any prospective offeror to submit answers, under oath, to questions contained in a standard form of questionnaire to be prepared by the policy board. Whenever it appears from answers to the questionnaire or otherwise, that the prospective offeror is not fully qualified and able to perform the intended work, a written determination of nonresponsibility of an offeror shall be made by the head of the purchasing agency, in accordance with rules adopted by the policy board. The unreasonable failure of an offeror to promptly supply information in connection with an inquiry with respect to responsibility may be grounds for a determination of nonresponsibility with respect to such offeror. The decision of the head of the purchasing agency shall be final unless the offeror applies for administrative review pursuant to section 103D-709.
(c) All offerors, upon award of contract, shall comply with all laws governing entities doing business in the State, including chapters 237, 383, 386, 392, and 393. Offerors shall produce documents to the procuring officer to demonstrate compliance with this subsection. Any offeror making a false affirmation or certification under this subsection shall be suspended from further offerings or awards pursuant to section 103D-702. The procuring officer shall verify compliance with this subsection for all contracts awarded pursuant to sections 103D-302, 103D-303, 103D-304, and 103D-306, and for contracts and procurements of $2,500 or more awarded pursuant to section 103D-305; provided that the attorney general may waive the requirements of this subsection for contracts for legal services if the attorney general certifies in writing that comparable legal services are not available in this State.
(d) Information furnished by an offeror pursuant to this section shall not be disclosed to any person except to law enforcement agencies as provided by chapter 92F.

The right of the contractor to dispute the contract price or time required for performance or both shall not be waived by its performing the work, provided however, that it follows the written notice requirements for disputes and claims established by the contract.
(3) Time period for claim. Except as may be provided otherwise by section 103D-501(b), HRS, the contractor must file a written claim disputing the contract price or time provided in a change order within ten days after receipt of a written change order, unless such period for filing is extended by the procurement officer in writing.
The requirement for filing a timely written claim cannot be waived and shall be a condition precedent to the assertion of a claim.
(4) Claim barred after final payment. No claim by the contractor for an adjustment hereunder shall be allowed if the claim is not received by the procurement officer prior to final payment under this contract.
(5) Other claims not barred.
In the absence of such a change order, nothing in this clause shall be deemed to restrict the contractor’s right to pursue a claim under the contract or for breach of contract.”

§3-122-45.01 Evaluation committee.
Prior to the preparation of the request for proposals, a determination shall be made by the procurement officer that the procurement officer or an evaluation committee selected in writing by the procurement officer shall evaluate the proposals. A copy of the document identifying any committee members and any subsequent changes thereto shall be placed in the contract file.
(1) The evaluation committee shall consist of at least three governmental employees with sufficient qualifications in the area of the goods, services, or construction to be procured;
(2) Private consultants may also serve on the committee and shall:
(A) Have sufficient knowledge to serve on the committee;
(B) Serve without compensation, unless justified and determined in writing by the head of the purchasing agency that compensation is justified; and
(C) Sign an affidavit:
(i) Attesting to having no personal, business, or any other relationship that will influence their decision in the evaluation process;
(ii) Agreeing not to disclose any information on the evaluation process to other than an employee of a governmental body; and
(iii) Agreeing that their names will become public information upon award of the contract;
(3) The contract administrator shall serve as a member of the committee;
(4) The contract administrator or a designee shall serve as chairperson, and the procurement officer or a designee shall serve as advisor.

Except as provided in section 28-8.3 with respect to agencies of the State of Hawaii, any governmental body of this State may act as a purchasing agency and contract on its own behalf for professional services subject to this chapter and rules adopted by the policy board. The purchasing agency may consult with the chief procurement officer or the officer’s designee when procuring these services.

(a) Contracts shall be awarded by competitive sealed bidding except as otherwise provided in section 103D-301.
Awards of contracts by competitive sealed bidding may be made after single or multi-step bidding. Competitive sealed bidding does not include negotiations with bidders after the receipt and opening of bids. Award is based on the criteria set forth in the invitation for bids.

(a) The minimum time period between the first date of the
public notice of the solicitation and the date set for
receipt of offers, except as provided by subsection (b)
for construction, including design-build projects,
shall be as follows:
(1) For a single-step invitation for bids
pursuant to subchapter 5, ten calendar days;
(2) For competitive sealed proposals pursuant to
subchapter 6, thirty calendar days, unless
the procurement officer makes a written
determination that a shorter time will
provide for adequate competition; and
(3) For multi-step invitation for bids pursuant
to subchapter 6.5, fifteen calendar days for
the phase one unpriced technical proposal,
unless the procurement officer makes a
written determination that a shorter time
will provided for adequate competition; and
ten calendar days for the phase two priced
bid.
(b) For construction, including design-build projects, a minimum of fifteen calendar days shall be
provided between the date of the pre-bid conference
pursuant to section 3-122-16.05(b) and the date set for
receipt of offers.