(a) Bids shall be submitted so that they will be received in the office designated in the invitation for bids (referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c) below as the designated office) not later than the exact time set for opening of bids.
(b) Except as specified in paragraph (c) below, if telegraphic bids are authorized, a telegraphic bid that is communicated by means of a telephone call to the designated office shall be considered if--
(1) Agency regulations authorize such consideration;
(2) The telephone call is made by the telegraph office that received the telegraphic bid;
(3) The telephone call is received by the designated office not later than the time set for the bid opening;
(4) The telegraph office that received the telegraphic bid sends the designated office the telegram that formed the basis for the telephone call;
(5) The telegram indicates on its face that it was received in the telegraph office before the telephone call was received by the designated office; and
(6) The bid in the telegram is identical in all essential respects to the bid received in the telephone call from the telegraph office.
(c) If the conditions in paragraph (b) above apply and the bid received by telephone is the apparent low bid, award may not be made until the telegram is received by the designated office; however, if the telegram is not received by the designated office within 5 days after the bid opening date, the bid shall be rejected.