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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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47 sections with “competitive proposals”: the first 40

  • FAR 6.401 Sealed bidding and competitive proposals.
    Sealed bidding and competitive proposals, as described in parts 14 and 15, are both acceptable procedures for use under subparts 6.1, 6.2; and, when appropriate, under subpart 6.3. (a) Sealed bids. (See part 14 for procedures.) Contracting…
  • FAR 6.102 Use of competitive procedures.
    The competitive procedures available for use in fulfilling the requirement for full and open competition are as follows: (a) Sealed bids. (See 6.401(a).) (b) Competitive proposals. (See 6.401(b).) If sealed bids are not appropriate under …
  • 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 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…
  • DFARS 206.102-70 Other competitive procedures.
    (a) Competitive selection of proposals based on a review by scientific, technological, or other subject-matter expert peers resulting from a commercial solutions opening as described in subpart 212.70 (10 U.S.C. 3458) is a competitive proce…
  • 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…
  • DFARS 206.102 Use of competitive procedures.
    (d) Other competitive procedures. (2) In lieu of FAR 6.102(d)(2), competitive selection of science and technology proposals resulting from a broad agency announcement with peer or scientific review, as described in 235.016(a) (10 U.S.C. 30…
  • 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…
  • 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 15.201 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 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 15.305 Proposal evaluation.
    …eror's ability to perform the prospective contract successfully. An agency shall evaluate competitive proposals and then assess their relative qualities solely on the factors and subfactors specified in the solicitation. Evaluations may be …
  • 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 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 49.107 Audit of prime contract settlement proposals and subcontract settlements.
    …g review of a subcontractor's settlement proposal when— (i) A subcontractor objects, for competitive reasons, to an accounting review of its records by an upper tier contractor; (ii) The Government audit agency is currently performing aud…
  • DFARS 215.306 Exchanges with offerors after receipt of proposals.
    (c) Competitive range. (1) For acquisitions with an estimated value of $100 million or more, contracting officers should conduct discussions. Follow the procedures at FAR 15.306(c) and (d).
  • FAR 3.303 Reporting suspected antitrust violations.
    …uired by subpart 9.4. (b) The antitrust laws are intended to ensure that markets operate competitively. Any agreement or mutual understanding among competing firms that restrains the natural operation of market forces is suspect. Paragraph…
  • 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 17.106-3 Special procedures applicable to DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard.
    … of a contracting activity may approve the use of variable unit prices, provided that for competitive proposals there is a valid method of evaluation.
  • FAR 22.504 General requirements for project labor agreements.
    …r materials, supply chain costs). Agencies may rely on price analysis conducted on recent competitive proposals for construction projects of a similar size and scope. (3) Timing of the exception—(i) Contracts other than IDIQ contracts. 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…
  • 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…
  • DFARS 215.371-2 Promote competition.
    … as provided in sections 215.371-4 and 215.371-5— (a) If only one offer is received when competitive procedures were used and the solicitation allowed fewer than 30 days for receipt of proposals, the contracting officer shall— (1) Consult…
  • FAR 3.104-1 Definitions.
    …award to a particular source. Federal agency procurement means the acquisition (by using competitive procedures and awarding a contract) of goods or services (including construction) from non-Federal sources by a Federal agency using appro…
  • 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 6.302-2 Unusual and compelling urgency.
    …ncy to enter into another contract for the required goods and services through the use of competitive procedures; and (ii) May not exceed one year, including all options, unless the head of the agency determines that exceptional circumstan…
  • FAR 9.405 Effect of listing.
    …s received from any listed contractor shall not be evaluated for award or included in the competitive range, nor shall discussions be conducted with a listed offeror during a period of ineligibility, unless the agency head determines, in wr…
  • FAR 9.508 Examples.
    …oth parties that the agency will use the performance characteristics arrived at to choose competitively a contractor to develop or produce the fuels. Company A may not be awarded this follow-on contract. (g) Company A receives a contract t…
  • 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 15.304 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 15.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
    …ompetition. For interorganizational transfers priced at other than the cost of comparable competitive commercial work of the division, subsidiary, or affiliate of the contractor, explain the pricing method (see FAR 31.205-26(e)). (2) All O…
  • FAR 15.505 Preaward debriefing of offerors.
    Offerors excluded from the competitive range or otherwise excluded from the competition before award may request a debriefing before award (10 U.S.C. 3305 and 41 U.S.C. 3705). (a)(1) The offeror may request a preaward debriefing by submitt…
  • FAR 15.507 Protests against award.
    …all provide the information in paragraph (c) of this section to offerors that were in the competitive range and are requested to submit revised proposals. (c) The following information will be provided to appropriate parties: (1) Informat…
  • FAR 15.603 General.
    …s; (5) Not be an advance proposal for a known agency requirement that can be acquired by competitive methods; and (6) Not address a previously published agency requirement. (d) Unsolicited proposals in response to a publicized general st…
  • 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 16.505 Ordering.
    …shold. (A) Each order exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold shall be placed on a competitive basis in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(iii)(B) of this section, unless supported by a written determination that one of the circumstanc…
  • FAR 28.101-4 Noncompliance with bid guarantee requirements.
    …are not met, deficiencies in bid guarantees submitted by offerors determined to be in the competitive range shall be addressed during discussions and the offeror shall be given an opportunity to correct the deficiency. (c) Noncompliance wi…
  • FAR 33.104 Protests to GAO.
    … prepared by a party; classified information; and information that would give the party a competitive advantage; and (B) Protester's documents which the agency determines, pursuant to law or regulation, to withhold from any interested part…
  • FAR 36.303 Procedures.
    …ne which offerors will submit proposals for Phase Two. One contract will be awarded using competitive negotiation.

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.