What is meant by the term 'bid suppression' in a procurement fraud context?

In the context of procurement fraud, 'bid suppression' refers to actions taken to manipulate the bidding process in a way that discourages genuine competition among potential suppliers. This can involve tactics such as soliciting fewer bids than normal, keeping certain vendors from submitting bids, or providing selective information to certain bidders while excluding others. The main goal of bid suppression is to limit competition, which ultimately can lead to higher prices for goods or services, reduced quality, or other negative outcomes for the purchasing entity.

The understanding of bid suppression as a tactic to manipulate bids aligns well with the focus on creating an unfair advantage, undermining the integrity of the procurement process. While creating specifications to favor a vendor or collusion to raise prices are indeed forms of procurement fraud, they represent different tactics. They could be seen as part of broader schemes but are not the definition of bid suppression itself. Therefore, the focus remains on the improper discouragement of competition as the clear and direct meaning of 'bid suppression.'