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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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65 sections with “competitive acquisitions”: 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 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 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 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…
  • 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 15.002 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 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…
  • 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 15.209 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 15.304 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 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 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…
  • 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 215.300 Scope of subpart.
    When conducting negotiated, competitive acquisitions utilizing FAR part 15 procedures, contracting officers shall follow the principles and procedures in the Director, Defense Pricing and Contracting memorandum provided at PGI 215.300.
  • DFARS 215.404-4 Profit.
    …sponsibilities. (1) Also, do not perform a profit analysis when assessing cost realism in competitive acquisitions. (2) When using a structured approach, the contracting officer— (A) Shall use the weighted guidelines method (see 215.404-7…
  • DFARS 225.7302 Preparation of letter of offer and acceptance.
    …rm the contract (such as those requirements identified at PGI 225.7301); and (iv) For noncompetitive acquisitions over $10,000, ask the prospective contractor for information on price, delivery, and other relevant factors. The request for …
  • FAR 13.106-1 Soliciting competition.
    …rs: (1)(i) The nature of the article or service to be purchased and whether it is highly competitive and readily available in several makes or brands, or is relatively noncompetitive. (ii) Information obtained in making recent purchases o…
  • FAR 15.000 Scope of part.
    This part prescribes policies and procedures governing competitive and noncompetitive negotiated acquisitions. A contract awarded using other than sealed bidding procedures is a negotiated contract (see 14.101).
  • FAR 15.403-1 Prohibition on obtaining certified cost or pricing data (10 U.S.C. chapter 271 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    … with section 41 U.S.C. 3501: (A) When purchasing services that are not offered and sold competitively in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, but are of a type offered and sold competitively in substantial quantities in t…
  • FAR 15.403-3 Requiring data other than certified cost or pricing data.
    …dom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)). (3) For services that are not offered and sold competitively in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, but are of a type offered and sold competitively in substantial quantities in t…
  • FAR 15.502 Applicability.
    This subpart applies to competitive proposals, as described in 6.102(b), and a combination of competitive procedures, as described in 6.102(c). The procedures in 15.504, 15.506, 15.507, 15.508, and 15.509, with reasonable modification, shou…
  • FAR 16.601 Time-and-materials contracts.
    …contractor under a common control. (iii) For contract actions that are not awarded using competitive procedures, unless exempt under paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section, the fixed hourly rates for services transferred between divisions, s…
  • FAR 19.805-2 Procedures.
    …d in the solicitation (see 13 CFR 124.507(d)(3)). (1) In either negotiated or sealed bid competitive 8(a) acquisitions SBA will determine the eligibility of the apparent successful offeror and advise the contracting office within 5 working…
  • DFARS 213.501 Special documentation requirements.
    (a)(i) Sole source (including brand name) acquisitions. For noncompetitive follow-on acquisitions of supplies or services previously awarded on a noncompetitive basis, include the additional documentation required by PGI 206.303-2(b)(i) and…
  • 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 3.301 General.
    …rrant criminal, civil, or administrative action against the participants. Examples of anticompetitive practices are collusive bidding, follow-the-leader pricing, rotated low bids, collusive price estimating systems, and sharing of the busin…
  • FAR 6.201 Policy.
    Acquisitions made under this subpart require use of the competitive procedures prescribed in 6.102.
  • FAR 6.303-2 Content.
    …cification of the statutory provision providing the exception from the requirement to use competitive procedures in entering into the contract (see 19.805-1). (3) A determination that the use of a sole-source contract is in the best intere…
  • FAR 10.002 Procedures.
    …er the Government's needs can be met by small business concerns that will likely submit a competitive offer at fair market prices (see part 19). (2) Techniques for conducting market research may include any or all of the following: (i) Co…
  • FAR 11.002 Policy.
    …mental items. (b) The Metric Conversion Act of 1975, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 205a, et seq.), designates the metric system of measurement as the preferred system of weights and measures for…
  • FAR 12.207 Contract type.
    …mmercial services when— (i) The service is acquired under a contract awarded using— (A) Competitive procedures (e.g., the procedures in 6.102, the set-aside procedures in Subpart 19.5, or competition conducted in accordance with Part 13);…
  • FAR 13.106-2 Evaluation of quotations or offers.
    …an efficient and minimally burdensome fashion. Formal evaluation plans and establishing a competitive range, conducting discussions, and scoring quotations or offers are not required. Contracting offices may conduct comparative evaluations …
  • FAR 13.106-3 Award and documentation.
    …oposed price is fair and reasonable. (1) Whenever possible, base price reasonableness on competitive quotations or offers. (2) If only one response is received, include a statement of price reasonableness in the contract file. The contrac…
  • FAR 14.501 General.
    Two-step sealed bidding is a combination of competitive procedures designed to obtain the benefits of sealed bidding when adequate specifications are not available. An objective is to permit the development of a sufficiently descriptive and…
  • FAR 15.201 Exchanges with industry before receipt of proposals.
    … later than the next general release of information, in order to avoid creating an unfair competitive advantage. Information provided to a potential offeror in response to its request must not be disclosed if doing so would reveal the poten…

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.