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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 37: Service Contracting › Subpart 37.2

FAR 37.204 Guidelines for determining availability of personnel.

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 head of an agency to determine if enough qualified personnel are available within the agency to evaluate or analyze proposals for an acquisition. If not, the agency must search other Federal agencies and consider costs and time before possibly using outside personnel. It also allows for class determinations when expertise is so unique that such personnel are not reasonably available.

Applies to: Agency heads and contracting activities evaluating proposals

What it requires

  • Determine if sufficient personnel with requisite training and capabilities are available within the agency for each evaluation or analysis of proposals.
  • If not available, determine which Federal agencies may have such personnel.
  • Consider administrative cost and time, dollar value of procurement, other costs, and needs of Federal agencies.
  • If supporting agency agrees, execute an agreement for the detail of personnel.

Key terms: evaluation or analysis of proposals · requisite training and capabilities · detail · covered personnel · class of proposals

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

The text

(a) The head of an agency shall determine, for each evaluation or analysis of proposals, if sufficient personnel with the requisite training and capabilities are available within the agency to perform the evaluation or analysis of proposals submitted for the acquisition.

(b) If, for a specific evaluation or analysis, such personnel are not available within the agency, the head of the agency shall—

(1) Determine which Federal agencies may have personnel with the required training and capabilities; and

(2) Consider the administrative cost and time associated with conducting the search, the dollar value of the procurement, other costs, such as travel costs involved in the use of such personnel, and the needs of the Federal agencies to make management decisions on the best use of available personnel in performing the agency's mission.

(c) If the supporting agency agrees to make the required personnel available, the agencies shall execute an agreement for the detail of the supporting agency's personnel to the requesting agency.

(d) If the requesting agency, after reasonable attempts to obtain personnel with the required training and capabilities, is unable to identify such personnel, the head of the agency may make the determination required by 37.203.

(e) An agency may make a determination regarding the availability of covered personnel for a class of proposals for which evaluation and analysis would require expertise so unique or specialized that it is not reasonable to expect such personnel to be available.

Sections it refers to

Sections that refer to it

  • 7.103 Agency-head responsibilities.
  • 37.203 Policy.
  • 37.205 Contracting officer responsibilities.

← 37.203 Policy. · 37.205 Contracting officer responsibilities. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 37

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

FAR 37.204 Guidelines for determining availability of personnel · SpendQuery