To the lay person, they may look the same.

However, for a procurement professional, a fixed price may be altered in some circumstances eg

'fixed price with incentive', 'fixed price with exchange rate adjustment', etc.

A firm price on the other hand cannot be altered, and is the price which will be paid under the con-

tract.

An earlier text by Patrick Behan on government contracting refers.

This is simply false. Partnerships are normally unincorporated profit-oriented organisations eg ac-

countants, lawyers, many consultancies, some retailers, etc. One significant factor about partnerships

is that individuals' capital is normally at risk, unlike in limited companies, where the risk is limited.

Because a wide range of organisations (or even individuals) may respond to an open tender, consid-

erable administrative resource may have to be devoted to analysing offers.

This is true.

In the not-for-profit sector, funding often comes from external sources or donors. The beneficiaries of

the services are often beneficiaries of services because they don't have funds eg the homeless, the

poor, the sick, etc

Thus in this sector, the 'paymaster' is often separated from the recipient of services provided, which

has implications for the management of such organisations.

Which is the priority? The one providing funding; or the one receiving the services?