I&#x27;d argue that often it&#x27;s also like this: 1) incompetence =&gt; ill-defined requirements; 2) being afraid of corruption accusations if non-cheapest option wins =&gt; cheapest offer wins if it matches the ill-defined spec, regardless of any other factors.<p>The &quot;cheapest offer wins&quot; is (IMO) in general not how private companies work, but very often how governmental bodies work. The clerks have nothing to gain for choosing the right option, but potentially a lot to lose.