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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 15: Contracting by Negotiation › Subpart 15.1

FAR 15.101 Best value continuum.

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 explains that agencies can use different source selection approaches to get the best value in negotiated acquisitions. It says the importance of cost or price compared to technical and past performance factors can vary depending on the acquisition. This matters because it tells contractors how much weight price may carry versus other factors in a given competition.

Applies to: Agencies conducting negotiated acquisitions

Key terms: best value · negotiated acquisitions · source selection · cost or price · technical or past performance considerations

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

The text

An agency can obtain best value in negotiated acquisitions by using any one or a combination of source selection approaches. In different types of acquisitions, the relative importance of cost or price may vary. For example, in acquisitions where the requirement is clearly definable and the risk of unsuccessful contract performance is minimal, cost or price may play a dominant role in source selection. The less definitive the requirement, the more development work required, or the greater the performance risk, the more technical or past performance considerations may play a dominant role in source selection.

← 15.100 Scope of subpart. · 15.101-1 Tradeoff process. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 15

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

FAR 15.101 Best value continuum · SpendQuery