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

FAR 52.217-10 Reverse Auction.

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 explains that the Government may use a reverse auction to award a contract or blanket purchase agreement, where offerors can see competing prices (but not identities) and submit lower offers until the auction closes. By submitting a quote or proposal, an offeror agrees to participate and allows the Government to reveal offered prices to all offerors without revealing identities, except the awardee's identity after award. The offeror can withdraw from further participation by withdrawing its offer before the auction closes.

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

What it requires

  • Agree to participate in the reverse auction by submitting a quote or proposal
  • Agree that the Government may reveal offered prices to all offerors without revealing identities, except the awardee's identity after award
  • To withdraw agreement to further participate, withdraw the offer before the close of the auction by notifying the Contracting Officer via the contact method in the solicitation

Key terms: Reverse auction · Reverse auction service provider · Offeror · Contracting Officer · Blanket purchase agreement

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

The text

As prescribed in 17.805(a), insert the following provision:

Reverse Auction (AUG 2024)

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—

Reverse auction means the process for obtaining pricing, usually supported by an electronic tool, in which offerors see competing offerors' price(s), without disclosure of the competing offerors' identity, and have the opportunity to submit lower priced offers until the close of the auction.

Reverse auction service provider means a commercial or Government entity that provides a means for conducting reverse auctions when acquiring supplies or services to be used by the Government.

(b) Reverse auction. The Government intends to conduct a reverse auction under this solicitation to award a contract or blanket purchase agreement.

(c) Offeror agreement. By submission of a quote or proposal in response to the solicitation, the Offeror agrees to participate in the reverse auction and agrees that the Government may reveal to all Offerors the offered price(s) in the auction, without revealing any Offeror's identity, except for the awardee's identity subsequent to an award resulting from the auction. The Offeror may withdraw its agreement to further participate in the process by withdrawing its offer before the close of the auction by notifying the Contracting Officer via the contact method identified in the solicitation.

(d) Only one offer. If the reverse auction produces only one offer, the Government reserves the right to cancel the auction.

(e) Release of information. The Government may use a reverse auction service provider to conduct the reverse auction. Any price or proposal information or source selection information received by the reverse auction service provider in relation to the reverse auction shall not be released, outside of the Government, unless otherwise required by law. However, this does not prevent the Government from revealing to all Offerors the offered price(s) in the auction, without revealing any Offeror's identity. Price or proposal information includes, but is not limited to—

(1) Contractor bid or proposal information, as defined at Federal Acquisition Regulation 3.104-1; and

(2) Information identified by the Offeror as restricted from duplication, use, or disclosure—in whole or in part—for any purpose other than to evaluate the Offeror's price or proposal.

(End of provision)

Sections it refers to

  • 17.805 Solicitation provision and contract clauses.
  • 3.104-1 Definitions.

Sections that refer to it

  • 17.805 Solicitation provision and contract clauses.

← 52.217-9 Option To Extend the Term of the Contract. · 52.217-11 Reverse Auction—Orders. →

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 52.217-10 Reverse Auction · SpendQuery