FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 11: Describing Agency Needs › Subpart 11.1

FAR 11.107 Solicitation provision.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This section tells contracting officers when to include two specific solicitation provisions. It matters to contractors because it determines whether solicitations will contain the Brand Name or Equal provision or the Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards provision.

Applies to: Contracting officers preparing solicitations

What it requires

  • Insert the provision at 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal, when brand name or equal purchase descriptions are included in a solicitation.
  • Insert the provision at 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, in solicitations that use Government-unique standards when the agency uses the transaction-based reporting method to report its use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Key terms: Brand Name or Equal · Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards · Government-unique standards · voluntary consensus standards · transaction-based reporting method

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) Insert the provision at 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal, when brand name or equal purchase descriptions are included in a solicitation.

(b) Insert the provision at 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, in solicitations that use Government-unique standards when the agency uses the transaction-based reporting method to report its use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (see OMB Circular A-119, “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities”). Use of the provision is optional for agencies that report their use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology using the categorical reporting method. Agencies that manage their specifications on a contract-by-contract basis use the transaction-based method of reporting. Agencies that manage their specifications centrally use the categorical method of reporting. Agency regulations regarding specification management describe which method is used.

Sections it refers to

  • 52.211-6 Brand name or equal.
  • 52.211-7 Alternatives to Government-unique standards.

Sections that refer to it

  • 52.211-6 Brand name or equal.
  • 52.211-7 Alternatives to Government-unique standards.

← 11.106 Purchase descriptions for service contracts. · 11.201 Identification and availability of specifications. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 11

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 11.107 Solicitation provision · SpendQuery