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

FAR 14.408-2 Responsible bidder—reasonableness of price.

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 requires the contracting officer to confirm that a prospective contractor is responsible and that the offered prices are reasonable before awarding a contract. It matters to contractors because a bid can be rejected if the officer cannot make those determinations, especially when only one bid is received or when a bid is materially unbalanced.

Applies to: Contracting officers awarding contracts after sealed bidding

Key terms: responsible · prices offered are reasonable · price analysis · materially unbalanced · single bid

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

The text

(a) The contracting officer shall determine that a prospective contractor is responsible (see subpart 9.1) and that the prices offered are reasonable before awarding the contract. The price analysis techniques in 15.404-1(b) may be used as guidelines. In each case the determination shall be made in the light of all prevailing circumstances. Particular care must be taken in cases where only a single bid is received.

(b) The price analysis shall consider whether bids are materially unbalanced (see 15.404-1(g)).

Sections it refers to

Sections that refer to it

  • 12.209 Determination of price reasonableness.

← 14.408-1 General. · 14.408-3 Prompt payment discounts. →

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 14.408-2 Responsible bidder—reasonableness of price · SpendQuery