The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) has declared the offer of Smartmatic and Total Information Management Corp. (Smartmatic/TIM) consortium as the “single complying calculated bid” to automate the May 2010 polls, after its fiercest rival failed in the technical requirements.

The joint venture of AMA Group of Companies and Election System and Software (AMA/ES&S) was found to be “non-compliant with the technical requirements” when it failed to submit its “system requirement specifications and system design specifications,” which the SBAC said are “essential elements in automation.”

The AMA/ES&S also failed to comply with the requirement that its credit line and cash deposit certificate should come from a bank duly licensed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The consortium submitted a cash deposit certificate from the Bank of America, in Des Moines, Iowa, US, which is not among those accredited by the BSP.

The AMA/ES&S has three days to make an appeal. Nonetheless, the SBAC declared Smartmatic/TIM as the only  bidder which has passed the eligibility, legal, technical and financial screening.

With the green light, Smartmatic/TIM will now undergo post qualification proceedings. The group will also demonstrate its machines on Wednesday.

Smartmatic/TIM submitted a P7.2 billion financial bid to automate the national polls next year, which is P4 billion lower than the P11.3 billion ceiling set by Comelec.