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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2

FAR 52.204-22 Alternative Line Item Proposal.

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 provision invites offerors to propose alternative line items if the government's line items don't match their practices, to make the contract more economically and administratively advantageous. However, the government has sole discretion to accept any alternative proposal, and offers that don't comply with the specified line items may be considered nonresponsive or unacceptable.

Applies to: Offerors responding to a solicitation that includes this provision

What it requires

  • Ensure any alternative line items are consistent with FAR subpart 4.10
  • Comply with the line items specified in the solicitation to avoid being deemed nonresponsive or unacceptable

Key terms: alternative line item · line items · solicitation · nonresponsive · unacceptable

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

The text

As prescribed in 4.1008, insert the following provision:

Alternative Line Item Proposal (JAN 2017)

(a) The Government recognizes that the line items established in this solicitation may not conform to the Offeror's practices. Failure to correct these issues can result in difficulties in acceptance of deliverables and processing payments. Therefore, the Offeror is invited to propose alternative line items for which bids, proposals, or quotes are requested in this solicitation to ensure that the resulting contract is economically and administratively advantageous to the Government and the Offeror.

(b) The Offeror may submit one or more additional proposals with alternative line items, provided that alternative line items are consistent with subpart 4.10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. However, acceptance of an alternative proposal is a unilateral decision made solely at the discretion of the Government. Offers that do not comply with the line items specified in this solicitation may be determined to be nonresponsive or unacceptable.

(End of provision)

Sections it refers to

  • 4.1008 Solicitation provision.

Sections that refer to it

  • 4.1008 Solicitation provision.
  • 15.203 Requests for proposals.
  • 212.370 Inapplicability of certain provisions and clauses to contracts and subcontracts for the acquisition of commercial products, commercial services, and commercially available off-the-shelf items.

← 52.204-21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems. · 52.204-23 Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab Covered Entities. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 52

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

FAR 52.204-22 Alternative Line Item Proposal · SpendQuery