Don't panic

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The 'IEP Evaluation Process Guidance Document' for the Frankenstein Train was published on Friday.

It promises to beat, with a very large stick, any bidder foolish enough to disclose confidential information:

5.2 Confidentiality
A fundamental requirement of the IEP procurement is that tender information is kept confidential at all times throughout the evaluation process and that the highest standards are applied and maintained in order to ensure that any evaluator’s access to Bidder information is restricted to that agreed with the evaluation team leads and set out herein as defined by the access to information defined in ASITE.

Specifically commercially sensitive tender information must be controlled to:

• Prevent the prospect of insider trading in share prices
• Avoid the leakage of undesirable information to Bidders and the undermining of the DfT’s negotiating leverage.
• Provide confidence in the procurement process
• Reduce the risk of Judicial Review

Does the stricture against 'the leakage of undersirable information' apply to the MD of one of the bidding groups who has already pointed out that the diesel version is "unfundable"?

Probably not, as DafT is terrified that if just one of the two bidders walks away the whole sorry process will attract even greater censure from the inevitable NAO inquiry.