A bid bond in the amount of 5% of the bid issued by an acceptable surety shall be submitted with each bid. A certified check or bank draft payable to the Hallettsville ISD may be submitted in lieu of the Bid Bond. The successful bidder may not discriminate against its employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age or national origin. The Hallettsville ISD reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any minor irregularities in the bid documents. Contract will be awarded to lowest responsible bidder. Bids may be held by the Hallettsville ISD for a period not to exceed 60 days from the date of the bid opening for the purpose of reviewing the bids and investigating the bidder's qualifications prior to the contract award. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. All qualified applicants shall receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Bidders will be required to comply with the President's Executive Order No. 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375, and as supplemented in Department of Labor regulations 41 CFR Part 60. The successful Bidder shall furnish Performance and Payment Bonds on the forms furnished with the Proposal, in the amount of 100% of the total Contract price, from a surety company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as surety. The surety company must have a minimum Best Key Rating of "B" or be eligible to participate in the surety bond guarantee program of the Small Business Administration and must be an approved surety listed in the current U.S. Department of Treasury Circular 570, and must meet all of the related rules and regulations of the Treasury Department. The surety company and the agency or agent issuing the Payment and Performance Bonds must be authorized to issue and sign Payment and Performance Bonds in Texas in an amount equal to or greater than the total contract price.