The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) says procurement legislation requiring managers to select the lowest bidder can constrain the provision of good food.

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InnerWorkings ( INWK - news - people ), a Chicago firm that farms out companies' printing jobs to the lowest bidder.

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Too often this means the contract goes to the lowest bidder.

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But please, can we stop using the lowest bidder?

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Gone are the neoliberal days when reform meant selling government companies to the lowest Western bidder.

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"The taxpayers of the United States should expect that the lowest competitive bidder will get the grant, " he said.

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Private companies could do the actual administration, but as the largest bidder, government could guarantee the lowest-possible prices, monitor service and police fraud.

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