Which practice is a red flag of bid splitting schemes?

• A. A Sequential purchases under the competitive bidding limits that are followed by change orders
• B. B Low employee turnover in an organization's procurement department
• C. C Frequent use of sole-source procurement contracts
• D. D Two or more purchases from the same supplier in amounts just above competitive bidding limits

Answer: (A)

Bid splitting happens when a buyer divides a larger purchase into smaller ones to stay under the competitive bidding threshold, often layering in change orders to cover extra costs without broad competition. The clearest red flag is a pattern of sequential purchases kept just under the bidding limit, followed by a change order that increases the total. That sequence signals an attempt to avoid triggering formal bidding while still obtaining additional value or flexibility through post-award modifications.

Other options don’t fit this specific manipulation. A generally stable procurement staff isn’t directly indicative of bid splitting. Frequent sole-source contracts point to a lack of competition, but not the deliberate division of a single requirement to dodge bidding. Buying from the same supplier in pieces that are just above the bidding limit would still require bidding for each chunk, which undermines the purpose of avoiding competitive processes.