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48 CFR · Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense supplement

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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.

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96 sections with “bidder”: the first 40

  • FAR 52.214-6 Explanation to Prospective Bidders.
    …prescribed in 14.201-6(c)(2), insert the following provision: Explanation to Prospective Bidders (APR 1984) Any prospective bidder desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc., must request…
  • FAR 14.203-1 Transmittal to prospective bidders.
    …ontracting office is located in the United States, any solicitation sent to a prospective bidder located outside the United States shall be sent by electronic data interchange or air mail if security classification permits.
  • FAR 14.404-3 Notice to bidders of rejection of all bids.
    … it is determined necessary to reject all bids, the contracting officer shall notify each bidder that all bids have been rejected and shall state the reason for such action.
  • FAR 14.408-2 Responsible bidder—reasonableness of price.
    (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 …
  • FAR 14.409 Information to bidders.
  • FAR 14.101 Elements of sealed bidding.
    …essarily restrictive specifications or requirements that might unduly limit the number of bidders are prohibited. The invitation includes all documents (whether attached or incorporated by reference) furnished prospective bidders for the pu…
  • FAR 14.201-5 Part IV—Representations and instructions.
    …ions as follows: (a) Section K, Representations, certifications, and other statements of bidders. Include in this section those solicitation provisions that require representations, certifications, or the submission of other information by…
  • FAR 14.201-6 Solicitation provisions.
    …ns for bids: (1) 52.214-5, Submission of Bids. (2) 52.214-6, Explanation to Prospective Bidders. (3) 52.214-7, Late Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals of Bids. (d) [Reserved] (e) Insert in all invitations for bids, except thos…
  • FAR 14.202-4 Bid samples.
    (a) Policy. (1) Bidders shall not be required to furnish bid samples unless there are characteristics of the product that cannot be described adequately in the specification or purchase description. (2) Bid samples will be used only to det…
  • FAR 14.202-5 Descriptive literature.
    (a) Policy. Contracting officers must not require bidders to furnish descriptive literature unless it is needed before award to determine whether the products offered meet the specification and to establish exactly what the bidder proposes …
  • FAR 14.208 Amendment of invitation for bids.
    …d opening and the need to extend this period. (c) Any information given to a prospective bidder concerning an invitation for bids shall be furnished promptly to all other prospective bidders as an amendment to the invitation (1) if such in…
  • FAR 14.211 Release of acquisition information.
    …aving a legitimate interest. Releases of information shall be made (1) to all prospective bidders, and (2) as nearly as possible at the same time, so that one prospective bidder shall not be given unfair advantage over another. See 3.104 re…
  • FAR 14.404-1 Cancellation of invitations after opening.
    …system dictates that, after bids have been opened, award must be made to that responsible bidder who submitted the lowest responsive bid, unless there is a compelling reason to reject all bids and cancel the invitation. (2) Every effort sh…
  • FAR 14.404-2 Rejection of individual bids.
    …ernates stated in the invitation shall be rejected. (d) A bid shall be rejected when the bidder imposes conditions that would modify requirements of the invitation or limit the bidder's liability to the Government, since to allow the bidde…
  • FAR 14.405 Minor informalities or irregularities in bids.
    …ents of the invitation that can be corrected or waived without being prejudicial to other bidders. The defect or variation is immaterial when the effect on price, quantity, quality, or delivery is negligible when contrasted with the total c…
  • FAR 14.407-3 Other mistakes disclosed before award.
    …uthority is in addition to that in 14.407-2 or that may be otherwise available. (a) If a bidder requests permission to correct a mistake and clear and convincing evidence establishes both the existence of the mistake and the bid actually i…
  • FAR 14.408-1 General.
    …tance specified in the bid or an extension (see 14.404-1(d)), and (3) to that responsible bidder whose bid, conforming to the invitation, will be most advantageous to the Government, considering only price and the price-related factors (see…
  • FAR 14.408-4 Economic price adjustment.
    (a) Bidder proposes economic price adjustment. (1) When a solicitation does not contain an economic price adjustment clause but a bidder proposes one with a ceiling that the price will not exceed, the bid shall be evaluated on the basis of …
  • FAR 14.409-1 Award of unclassified contracts.
    … as a minimum (subject to any restrictions in Subpart 9.4)— (i) Notify each unsuccessful bidder in writing or electronically within three days after contract award, that its bid was not accepted. “Day,” for purposes of the notification pro…
  • FAR 19.705-4 Reviewing the subcontracting plan.
    …idenced by records maintained by contractors. (b) If, under a sealed bid solicitation, a bidder submits a plan that does not cover each of the 15 required elements (see 19.704), the contracting officer shall advise the bidder of the defici…
  • FAR 36.213-3 Invitations for bids.
    …e distributed and the date set for opening of bids) (but see 5.203 and 14.202-1) to allow bidders an adequate opportunity to prepare and submit their bids, giving due regard to the construction season and the time necessary for bidders to i…
  • FAR 52.214-12 Preparation of Bids.
    …ibed in 14.201-6(f), insert the following provision: Preparation of Bids (APR 1984) (a) Bidders are expected to examine the drawings, specifications, Schedule, and all instructions. Failure to do so will be at the bidder's risk. (b) Each…
  • FAR 52.214-20 Bid Samples.
    …d Samples (APR 2002) (a) Bid sample means a product sample required to be submitted by a bidder to show those characteristics of the offered products that cannot adequately be described by specifications, purchase descriptions, or the invi…
  • FAR 52.214-21 Descriptive Literature.
    … (a) Descriptive literature, as used in this provision, means information furnished by a bidder, such as cuts, illustrations, drawings, and brochures, that shows a product's characteristics or construction or explains its operation. The te…
  • FAR 52.219-2 Equal Low Bids.
    …Low Bids (OCT 1995) (a) This provision applies to small business concerns only. (b) The bidder's status as a labor surplus area (LSA) concern may affect entitlement to award in case of tie bids. If the bidder wishes to be considered for t…
  • FAR 52.228-1 Bid Guarantee.
    …unt, by the time set for opening of bids, may be cause for rejection of the bid. (b) The bidder shall furnish a bid guarantee in the form of a firm commitment, e.g., bid bond supported by good and sufficient surety or sureties acceptable t…
  • FAR 14.209 Cancellation of invitations before opening.
    …n for bids usually involves a loss of time, effort, and money spent by the Government and bidders. Invitations should not be cancelled unless cancellation is clearly in the public interest; e.g., (1) where there is no longer a requirement f…
  • FAR 14.304 Submission, modification, and withdrawal of bids.
    (a) Bidders are responsible for submitting bids, and any modifications or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the invitation for bid (IFB) by the time specified in the IFB. They may use any transmission method au…
  • FAR 14.503-1 Step one.
    …, will be considered for awards and (ii) each bid in the second step must be based on the bidder's own technical proposals. (8) A statement that (i) offerors should submit proposals that are acceptable without additional explanation or inf…
  • FAR 28.001 Definitions.
    …uding a proposal under a negotiated acquisition. See the definition of “offer” at 2.101. Bidder means any entity that is responding or has responded to a solicitation, including an offeror under a negotiated acquisition. Bid guarantee mea…
  • FAR 52.214-10 Contract Award—Sealed Bidding.
    …nse to this solicitation without discussions and will award a contract to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the Government considering only price and the price-related factors spe…
  • FAR 52.214-31 Facsimile Bids.
    …ic equipment that communicates and reproduces both printed and handwritten material. (b) Bidders may submit facsimile bids as responses to this solicitation. These responses must arrive at the place and by the time, specified in the solici…
  • DFARS 245.604-1 Sales procedures.
    … (D) Past sale history for like or similar items; (ii) Approve award to the responsible bidder whose bid is most advantageous to the Government. The plant clearance officer shall not approve award to any bidder who is an ineligible transf…
  • FAR 14.201-2 Part I—The Schedule.
    …v) Number of pages. (vi) Requisition or other purchase authority. (vii) Requirement for bidder to provide its name and complete address, including street, city, county, State, and ZIP code. (viii) A statement that bidders should include …
  • FAR 14.301 Responsiveness of bids.
    …ust comply in all material respects with the invitation for bids. Such compliance enables bidders to stand on an equal footing and maintain the integrity of the sealed bidding system. (b) Facsimile bids shall not be considered unless permi…
  • FAR 14.404-4 Restrictions on disclosure of descriptive literature.
    When a bid is accompanied by descriptive literature (as defined in 2.101), and the bidder imposes a restriction that prevents the public disclosure of such literature, the restriction may render the bid nonresponsive. The restriction render…
  • FAR 14.404-5 All or none qualifications.
    …ess the solicitation provides otherwise, a bid may be responsive notwithstanding that the bidder specifies that award will be accepted only on all, or a specified group, of the items. Bidders shall not be permitted to withdraw or modify all…
  • FAR 14.408-6 Equal low bids.
    …ns. (2) Other small business concerns. (3) Other business concerns. (b) If two or more bidders still remain equally eligible after application of paragraph (a) above, award shall be made by a drawing by lot limited to those bidders. If t…
  • FAR 14.409-2 Award of classified contracts.
    …n connection with the solicitation, the contracting officer shall advise the unsuccessful bidders, including any who did not bid, to take disposition action in accordance with agency procedures. The name of the successful bidder and the con…
  • FAR 19.702 Statutory requirements.
    …$2 million for construction) and that has subcontracting possibilities, shall require the bidder selected for award to submit a subcontracting plan. If the selected bidder fails to submit a plan within the time limit prescribed by the contr…

FAR (chapter 1)

DFARS (chapter 2, Defense)

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Rule changes in progress: FAR, DFARS. Terms: glossary.