FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 11: Describing Agency Needs › Subpart 11.2
FAR 11.201 Identification and availability of specifications.
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 offices how to identify the specifications, standards, and other requirements documents cited in a solicitation. It requires citing each document's approval date and any amendment or revision dates, rather than vague references like 'the issue in effect.' It also explains when the government must furnish those documents with the solicitation or give instructions for obtaining them.
Applies to: Contracting offices preparing solicitations that cite requirements documents
What it requires
- Identify each cited document's approval date and the dates of any applicable amendments and revisions
- Avoid general identification references such as 'the issue in effect on the date of the solicitation'
- Clearly identify in the solicitation any pertinent documents not listed in the GSA Index or ASSIST
- Furnish such documents with the solicitation or provide specific instructions for obtaining or examining them
Key terms: GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions · ASSIST · requirements document · first tier references · voluntary consensus standards
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Solicitations citing requirements documents listed in the General Services Administration (GSA) Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, available on the DoD Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST) website, or listed in other agency index shall identify each document's approval date and the dates of any applicable amendments and revisions. Do not use general identification references, such as “the issue in effect on the date of the solicitation.” Contracting offices will not normally furnish these cited documents with the solicitation, except when—
(1) The requirements document must be furnished with the solicitation to enable prospective contractors to make a competent evaluation of the solicitation;
(2) In the judgment of the contracting officer, it would be impracticable for prospective contractors to obtain the documents in reasonable time to respond to the solicitation; or
(3) A prospective contractor requests a copy of a Government promulgated requirements document.
(b) Contracting offices shall clearly identify in the solicitation any pertinent documents not listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions or ASSIST. Such documents shall be furnished with the solicitation or specific instructions shall be furnished for obtaining or examining such documents.
(c) When documents refer to other documents, such references shall—
(1) Be restricted to documents, or appropriate portions of documents, that apply in the acquisition;
(2) Cite the extent of their applicability;
(3) Not conflict with other documents and provisions of the solicitation; and
(4) Identify all applicable first tier references.
(d)(1) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, may be viewed at the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil.
(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil.
(3) Defense documents not available from the ASSIST website may be ordered from the Defense Standardization Program Office by—
(i) Using the ASSIST feedback module at https://assist.dla.mil/feedback; or
(ii) Contacting the Defense Standardization Program Office by telephone at 571-767-6888 or email at [email protected].
(4) The FIPS PUBS may be obtained from http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/, or purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Telephone (202) 512-1800, Facsimile (202) 512-2250; or National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, Telephone (703) 605-6000, Facsimile (703) 605-6900, Email: [email protected].
(e) Agencies may purchase some nongovernment standards, including voluntary consensus standards, from the National Technical Information Service's Fedworld Information Network. Agencies may also obtain nongovernment standards from the standards developing organization responsible for the preparation, publication, or maintenance of the standard, or from an authorized document reseller. The National Institute of Standards and Technology can assist agencies in identifying sources for, and content of, nongovernment standards. DoD activities may obtain from the Defense Standardization Program Office those nongovernment standards, including voluntary consensus standards, adopted for use by defense activities.
← 11.107 Solicitation provision. · 11.202 Maintenance of standardization documents. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 11
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws ↗ · proposed 2025-07-21 · comments due 2025-09-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Controlled Unclassified Information ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Strengthening America's Cybersecurity Workforce ↗ · proposed 2025-01-03 · comments due 2025-03-04
- Federal Acquisition Regulation; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2024-07-30 · effective 2024-08-29
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Sustainable Procurement ↗ · final rule 2024-04-22 · effective 2024-05-22
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.