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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 14: Sealed Bidding › Subpart 14.4

FAR 14.407-2 Apparent clerical mistakes.

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 allows the contracting officer to correct apparent clerical mistakes in a bid before award, but only after getting the bidder to verify the intended bid. It matters because it provides a narrow path to fix obvious errors without changing the bid's substance.

Applies to: Contracting officers and bidders in sealed bidding

What it requires

  • The contracting officer must obtain from the bidder a verification of the bid intended before correcting a clerical mistake.
  • Correction must be done by attaching the verification to the original bid and a copy to the duplicate bid.
  • Correction must not be made on the face of the bid, but must be reflected in the award document.
  • For electronic bids, correction must include the original bid, the verification request, and the bid verification in the electronic solicitation file.

Key terms: clerical mistake · apparent on its face · verification of the bid intended · award document · electronic data interchange

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

The text

(a) Any clerical mistake, apparent on its face in the bid, may be corrected by the contracting officer before award. The contracting officer first shall obtain from the bidder a verification of the bid intended. Examples of apparent mistakes are—

(1) Obvious misplacement of a decimal point;

(2) Obviously incorrect discounts (for example, 1 percent 10 days, 2 percent 20 days, 5 percent 30 days);

(3) Obvious reversal of the price f.o.b. destination and price f.o.b. origin; and

(4) Obvious mistake in designation of unit.

(b) Correction of the bid shall be effected by attaching the verification to the original bid and a copy of the verification to the duplicate bid. Correction shall not be made on the face of the bid; however, it shall be reflected in the award document.

(c) Correction of bids submitted by electronic data interchange shall be effected by including in the electronic solicitation file the original bid, the verification request, and the bid verification.

Sections that refer to it

  • 14.407-3 Other mistakes disclosed before award.

← 14.407-1 General. · 14.407-3 Other mistakes disclosed before award. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 14

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

FAR 14.407-2 Apparent clerical mistakes · SpendQuery