In a two-envelope submission, which statement is true?

• A. They require the technical proposal to be opened before price proposals.
• B. They are designed to keep technical and price data separate to avoid price bias.
• C. They are used only in sole-source procurements.
• D. They allow evaluators to see price before technical merit.

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is that two-envelope submissions separate price and technical data to prevent price information from biasing the evaluation of technical merit. In this approach, proposals are submitted in two sealed envelopes: one containing the technical proposal and the other the price proposal. The technical envelope is opened and evaluated on its technical merits first, while the price envelope remains sealed and unseen during that evaluation. Only after the technical evaluation is complete (and a competitive range is established, if applicable) is the price envelope opened and the price considered. This structure ensures that the selection is based on technical quality first, with price taken into account only after merit has been determined, promoting a fair and objective assessment.

The other statements don’t fit because they either misstate the purpose or the usual practice: two-envelope procedures are used in competitive procurements, not only sole-source; price is not allowed to influence the technical evaluation, so evaluators don’t see price before judging technical merit; and while price may be reviewed after technical evaluation, the emphasis is on keeping price data separate to avoid bias.