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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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138 sections with “competitive acquisition”: the first 40

  • FAR 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition.
    As prescribed in 15.209(a), insert the following provision: Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition (NOV 2021) (a) Definitions. As used in this provision— Discussions are negotiations that occur after establishment of the compet…
  • FAR 15.002 Types of negotiated acquisition.
    …rements; e.g., evaluation criteria and voluminous proposal preparation instructions. (b) Competitive acquisitions. When contracting in a competitive environment, the procedures of this part are intended to minimize the complexity of the so…
  • FAR 15.306 Exchanges with offerors after receipt of proposals.
    … and 41 U.S.C. 3703(a)(2)). (b) Communications with offerors before establishment of the competitive range. Communications are exchanges, between the Government and offerors, after receipt of proposals, leading to establishment of the comp…
  • FAR 27.406-3 Major system acquisition.
    …lusively with Federal funds if the delivery of the technical data is needed to ensure the competitive acquisition of supplies or services that will be required in substantial quantities in the future. The clause at 52.227-22, Major System—M…
  • FAR 5.205 Special situations.
    …nt service providers, number of Government personnel performing the activity, name of the Competitive Sourcing Official, name of the contracting officer, name of the Agency Tender Official, and projected end date of the competition. (2) Th…
  • FAR 7.106 Additional requirements for major systems.
    …le from more than one source; and (2) Items which the Government will be able to acquire competitively in the future if they are likely to be needed in substantial quantities during the system's service life. (b) In planning for the solic…
  • FAR 9.505-2 Preparing specifications or work statements.
    …es and furnishes complete specifications covering nondevelopmental items, to be used in a competitive acquisition, that contractor shall not be allowed to furnish these items, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor, for a reason…
  • FAR 15.209 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
    … The contracting officer shall insert the provision at 52.215-1, Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition, in all competitive solicitations where the Government intends to award a contract without discussions. (1) If the Government…
  • FAR 15.404-1 Proposal analysis techniques.
    …ignificant inconsistencies that warrant additional pricing inquiry. (iv) Comparison with competitive published price lists, published market prices of commodities, similar indexes, and discount or rebate arrangements. (v) Comparison of pr…
  • FAR 19.805-1 General.
    … codes and $5.5 million for all other acquisitions. (b) Where an acquisition exceeds the competitive threshold (see paragraph (a)(2) of this section), the SBA may accept the requirement for a sole source 8(a) award if— (1) There is not a …
  • FAR 19.808-2 Competitive.
    In competitive 8(a) acquisitions, including follow-on 8(a) acquisitions, subject to part 15, the contracting officer conducts negotiations directly with the competing 8(a) participants. Conducting competitive negotiations among eligible 8(a…
  • DFARS 201.170 Peer reviews.
    …citations and contracts as follows: (i) DPCAP will conduct the preaward peer reviews for competitive procurements prior to the three phases of the acquisition (see PGI 201.170-2(a)) for all procurements with an estimated value of $1 billio…
  • DFARS 207.106 Additional requirements for major systems.
    … or production of major systems that would enable the Government to use technical data to competitively reprocure identical items or components of the system if the item or component were developed exclusively at private expense, unless the…
  • DFARS 215.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
    …uired at 225.870-4(c)(2)(ii); and (B) Do not use 252.225-7003 in lieu of 252.215-7010 in competitive acquisitions; and (ii)(A) Use the clause at 252.215-7004, Requirement for Submission of Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data—Mo…
  • DFARS 225.7703-1 Acquisition procedures.
    …competition to products or services from Afghanistan; or (3) Using procedures other than competitive procedures to award a contract to a particular source or sources from Afghanistan. When other than competitive procedures are used, the co…
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    …uct was developed exclusively at private expense and sold in substantial quantities, on a competitive basis, to multiple State and local governments or to multiple foreign governments. Commercial service means— (1) Installation services, …
  • FAR 15.503 Notifications to unsuccessful offerors.
    (a) Preaward notices—(1) Preaward notices of exclusion from competitive range. The contracting officer shall notify offerors promptly in writing when their proposals are excluded from the competitive range or otherwise eliminated from the c…
  • FAR 19.502-6 Setting aside a class of acquisitions for small business.
    …y any changes in the magnitude of requirements, specifications, delivery requirements, or competitive market conditions that have occurred since the initial approval of the class small business set-aside. If there are any changes of such a …
  • FAR 19.803 Selecting acquisitions for the 8(a) program.
    … assigned NAICS code, business support levels, and business activity targets; or (ii) If competitive, a statement that at least two 8(a) participants are considered capable of satisfying the agency's requirements and a statement that the p…
  • FAR 19.804-4 Repetitive acquisitions.
    …d acceptances. This allows the SBA to determine— (a) Whether the requirement should be a competitive 8(a) award; (b) A nominated 8(a) participant's eligibility, and whether or not it is the same 8(a) participant that performed the previou…
  • DFARS 208.602-70 Acquisition of items for which FPI has a significant market share.
    …g an item for which FPI has a significant market share— (i) Acquire the item using— (A) Competitive procedures (e.g., the procedures in FAR 6.102, the set-aside procedures in FAR Subpart 19.5, or competition conducted in accordance with F…
  • DFARS 218.170 Additional acquisition flexibilities.
    … measuring tools in support of contingency operations, or for which the use of other than competitive procedures has been approved on the basis of unusual and compelling urgency in accordance with FAR 6.302-2; (5) Emergency acquisitions by …
  • DFARS 227.7103-2 Acquisition of technical data.
    …obtain unlimited or government purpose rights in technical data that will be required for competitive spare or repair parts procurements, such data should be identified as deliverable technical data items. Reprocurement needs may not be a s…
  • DFARS 252.227-7037 Validation of Asserted Restrictions on Technical Data.
    …t continued adherence to the asserted restriction would make impracticable the subsequent competitive acquisition of the item or process to which the technical data relates, the Contracting Officer will follow the procedures in paragraph (e…
  • FAR 5.403 Requests from Members of Congress.
    …re of classified matter, business confidential information, or information prejudicial to competitive acquisition, the contracting officer shall refer the proposed reply, with full documentation, to the agency head and inform the legislativ…
  • FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.
    …erwise available to the Government; and (C) Does not resemble the substance of a pending competitive acquisition. (See 10 U.S.C. 3204(b)(A)and 41 U.S.C. 3304(b)(1).) (ii) Supplies may be deemed to be available only from the original sourc…
  • FAR 9.505-4 Obtaining access to proprietary information.
    … and can use the leverage of the contract to obtain it, the contractor may gain an unfair competitive advantage unless restrictions are imposed. These restrictions protect the information and encourage companies to provide it when necessary…
  • FAR 15.100 Scope of subpart.
    …art describes some of the acquisition processes and techniques that may be used to design competitive acquisition strategies suitable for the specific circumstances of the acquisition.
  • FAR 15.203 Requests for proposals.
    …ate Government requirements to prospective contractors and to solicit proposals. RFPs for competitive acquisitions shall, at a minimum, describe the— (1) Government's requirement; (2) Anticipated terms and conditions that will apply to th…
  • FAR 15.304 Evaluation factors and significant subfactors.
    …h (c)(3)(iii) of this section, shall be evaluated in all source selections for negotiated competitive acquisitions expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (ii) For solicitations that are not set aside for small business co…
  • FAR 15.607 Criteria for acceptance and negotiation of an unsolicited proposal.
    … the Government without restriction from another source; (2) Closely resembles a pending competitive acquisition requirement; (3) Does not relate to the activity's mission; or (4) Does not demonstrate an innovative and unique method, app…
  • FAR 17.202 Use of options.
    …a reasonable price); and (ii) Delivery requirements far enough into the future to permit competitive acquisition, production, and delivery. (2) An indefinite quantity or requirements contract would be more appropriate than a contract with…
  • FAR 17.401 General.
    …olutions. (g) Facilitate the transition from development to production and to subsequent competitive acquisition of end items or major components.
  • FAR 19.402 Small Business Administration procurement center representatives.
    …all Business Program; (iii) Breakout of discrete components, items, and requirements for competitive acquisitions; and (iv) Ways to improve competition. (2) Reviewing proposed acquisition packages provided in accordance with 19.202-1(e).…
  • FAR 19.804-2 Agency offering.
    … if appropriate, that a requirement with an estimated contract value under the applicable competitive threshold be awarded as an 8(a) competitive contract (see 19.805-1(d)). (15) A request, if appropriate, that a requirement with a contrac…
  • FAR 25.408 Procedures.
    …sion of Offers in U.S. Currency, or paragraph (c)(5) of 52.215-1, Instruction to Offerors—Competitive Acquisitions); and (5) Provide unsuccessful offerors from WTO GPA or FTA countries notice in accordance with 14.409-1 or 15.503. (b) See…
  • FAR 41.204 GSA areawide contracts.
    …ent. If service is available from more than one supplier, service shall be acquired using competitive acquisition procedures (see 41.202(a)). The determination required by paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section shall be documented in the cont…
  • FAR 45.201 Solicitation.
    …structions for physical inspection. (b) When Government property is offered for use in a competitive acquisition, solicitations should specify that the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for us…
  • DFARS 207.7003 Limitation.
    For noncompetitive acquisitions, the acquisition of additional quantities is limited to not more than 10 percent of the quantity approved in the justification and approval prepared in accordance with FAR part 6 for the acquisition of the en…
  • DFARS 215.209 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
    …, contracting officers should use the provision at FAR 52.215-1, Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition, with its Alternate I.

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.