Examples:

A bidder for a project contract may tried to obtain an improper advantage in the bid by providing incorrect information in its bid documents.  For example, the bidder may deliberately or recklessly falsify or exaggerate one or more of the following:

• Experience of the relevant work:  The bidder states that it has undertaken five previous projects of the same nature as the bid work, but it has only undertaken one such project.
• Experience of its managers:  The bidder states that its proposed project manager has ten years’ experience of project management, but the manager has only two years’ experience.
• Available equipment:  The bidder states that it has the necessary equipment available for immediate start on the project, but in fact the equipment is engaged on another project and would not be immediately available.
• Financial results:  The bidder provides financial accounts which exaggerate its asset value or available cash resources.
• References from clients for previous work:  The bidder provides a fake reference from a client purporting to show that the bidder had undertaken a first-class job on a similar project to that being bid for.  In fact, the bidder has not undertaken that work for that client, or the client does not exist, or the client never gave such a positive reference.
• Bid security documents:  The bidder provides fake bid security documents, either because it is unable to obtain genuine ones, or to save the cost of providing genuine ones.

Explanation:

In all of the above circumstances, the bidder is intending to make a gain by winning a contract.  It is deliberately or recklessly submitting false information with a view to improving its chances of winning the contract. It is likely in these situations that the bidder has committed fraud.

The bidder deliberately submits false information when it knows that the information is false.

The bidder recklessly submits false information when it is not sure whether or not the information is correct, and takes no reasonable steps to check.

The bidder would not be liable for fraud if it submitted incorrect information, but honestly believed that the information was correct.  

If the bidder honestly believes the information is correct, then subsequently discovers it is not, it must promptly correct the error, otherwise it could then become liable for fraud for allowing false information to remain in place.