BREAKING IT DOWN......here's the critical piece from today's NR..."Datametrex has passed the second round of scrutiny in a Canadian AI bid. The value of the contract is approximately $40 million. The binding bid remains subject to meeting all criterias on technical merit and ability to deliver in accordance with the bid procedures and deadlines."... ..... ... now let's analyze based strictly on the wording used which could have been misused or not entirely accurate.... ....... 1)"Datametrex has passed the second round of scrutiny in a Canadian AI bid." : .....there are usually not more than 2 or 3 steps or "rounds" in an evaluation process, there can be more, but it's unusual, so I would assume they have completed all steps or just have 1 remaining eval step to complete before an award based on this sentence written alone............. 2) "The value of the contract is approximately $40 million." :.... it says the value of the "contract", based on reading this sentence out of context would mean there is already a contract in place, where as had it said the value of the "bid" it would imply that a contract is not yet awarded; I'll assume it's a bid for now and not awarded......... and 3) "The binding bid remains subject to meeting all criterias on technical merit and ability to deliver in accordance with the bid procedures and deadlines.": now this sentence... this one is the meat... there's a lot packed in there and I would love to see the intent in the mind of the writer...language is back to "bid".... but it's a "binding" bid imply binding by the proponent and the issuer of the RFP... now this binding bid is subject to 2 things, that we are told anyhow...... a) being "to meeting all criterias on technical merit" : .... this to me would be one of 2 things ... i) having to do a demonstration of the solution to prove it does what you said it will do or ii) some sort of further technical evaluation but that would seem odd after having already passed 2 stages... and b) the "ability to deliver in accordance with the bid procedures and deadlines.": this alone seems to imply it is still in the process of the RFP and pre-award phase as it references bid procedures and deadlines....which would mean no contract yet... but again points to some sort of demonstration or... perhaps... a trial period... "deadlines" is used implying a milestone to be met, a limited period or date indicated in the RFP... who knows?.... but I read it as doing something of technical merit by a certain date... the last unknown is, at the stage they are at, is it only the top rated proponent being evaluated here as a final due diligence before awarding a $40M contract or are they evaluating all remaining eligible proponents?... could be either, depends on the wording of the RFP, how extensive this phase/round is.... I agree with most posters that Marshall would have to be extremely confident to dangle this goliath of a carrot out there... only time will tell... this is only me thinking out loud and I could be way off on all my analysis... All IMO. DYODD.