Which of the following is a bid-splitting red flag where multiple procurements from the same supplier fall just under the bidding threshold?

• A. A Two or more procurements from the same supplier just under the bidding limit
• B. B High employee turnover in procurement
• C. C Two or more similar procurements from the same supplier just under upper-level review limits
• D. D A single large purchase that exceeds bidding limits

Answer: (C)

Bid-splitting happens when a buyer divides a larger requirement into smaller procurements to stay under bidding or review thresholds, avoiding competition and extra scrutiny. The strongest red flag is when there are two or more similar purchases from the same supplier that stay just under the limit that would trigger higher-level review. That pattern shows an intentional effort to skirt oversight while keeping the purchases under the threshold, which is exactly what bid-splitting aims to do.

The other scenarios don’t show that deliberate avoidance of scrutiny. Multiple purchases under the bidding limit could be legitimate, high employee turnover isn’t about purchasing patterns, and a single large purchase that exceeds bidding limits would require more bidding, not concealment of it through split procurements.