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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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95 sections with “competitive solicitation”: the first 40

  • 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 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 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 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…
  • 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…
  • 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 § 215.371-6 215.371-6 Solicitation provision.
    Use the provision at 252.215-7007, Notice of Intent to Resolicit, in competitive solicitations that will be solicited for fewer than 30 days, unless an exception at 215.371-4 applies or the requirement is waived in accordance with 215.371-5…
  • 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 15.306 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 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 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 234.005-1 Competition.
    A contract that is initially awarded from the competitive selection of a proposal resulting from a broad agency announcement (see 235.016) may contain a contract line item or contract option using funds not limited to those identified in 23…
  • 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 8.602 Policy.
    …e of the areas of price, quality, and time of delivery— (i) Acquire the item 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 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 15.503 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 19.811-3 Contract clauses.
    … (c) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.219-17, Section 8(a) Award, in competitive solicitations and contracts when the acquisition is accomplished using the procedures of 19.805 and in sole source awards which utilize th…
  • FAR 32.1005 Solicitation provision and contract clause.
    …ors to propose performance-based payments. (2) Use the provision with its Alternate I in competitive negotiated solicitations if the Government intends to adjust proposed prices for proposal evaluation purposes (see 32.1004(e)).
  • 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 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.
  • 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…
  • DFARS 215.570 Solicitation provision.
    Use the provision at 252.215-7016, Notification to Offerors—Postaward Debriefings, in competitive negotiated solicitations for contract awards valued at $15 million or more, including solicitations using FAR part 12 procedures for the acqui…
  • DFARS 216.506-70 Additional solicitation provisions and contract clause.
    …the clause at 252.216-7010, Postaward Debriefings for Task Orders and Delivery Orders, in competitive negotiated solicitations and contracts, including solicitations and contracts using FAR part 12 procedures for the acquisition of commerci…
  • DFARS 225.870-4 Contracting procedures.
    …lion. (B) If the Canadian Commercial Corporation submits the only offer in response to a competitive solicitation that meets the thresholds specified in paragraph (c)(2)(i)(A) of this section. (C) For modifications that exceed $150,000 in…
  • 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 13.203 Purchase guidelines.
    …uitably among qualified suppliers. (2) Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotations if the contracting officer or individual appointed in accordance with 1.603-3(b) considers the price to be reasonable. (3) The…
  • 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 22.1003-4 Administrative limitations, variations, tolerances, and exemptions.
    …contract award. (i) For source selections where the contracting officer has established a competitive range, if the contracting officer determines that one or more of the conditions in paragraphs 22.1003-4 (c)(2)(i) through (iii) of an offe…
  • FAR 24.202 Prohibitions.
    (a) A proposal in the possession or control of the Government, submitted in response to a competitive solicitation, shall not be made available to any person under the Freedom of Information Act. This prohibition does not apply to a proposa…
  • FAR 52.207-2 Notice of Streamlined Competition.
    …vate sector performance, the Contracting Officer shall either award a contract or issue a competitive solicitation for private sector offers. If the performance decision favors Agency or public reimbursable performance, the Agency shall est…
  • DFARS 213.500-70 Only one offer.
    If only one offer is received in response to a competitive solicitation issued using simplified acquisition procedures authorized under FAR subpart 13.5, follow the procedures at 215.371-2.
  • DFARS § 215.305 215.305 Proposal evaluation.
    …ting the past performance of an offeror that is a small business concern in response to a competitive solicitation, contracting officers shall consider relevant past performance information provided for affiliates of the offeror.
  • DFARS 215.371-1 Policy.
    It is DoD policy, if only one offer is received in response to a competitive solicitation— (a) To take the required actions to promote competition (see 215.371-2); and (b) To ensure that the price is fair and reasonable (see 215.371-3) an…
  • DFARS 215.403-1 Prohibition on obtaining certified cost or pricing data (10 U.S.C. chapter 271 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    …price analysis (see FAR 15.404-1(b)). (B) If only one offer is received in response to a competitive solicitation, see 215.371-3. (3) Commercial products or commercial services. (A) Follow the procedures at PGI 215.403-1(c)(3) for pricing…
  • DFARS 219.811-3 Contract clauses.
    …e at FAR 52.219-18, Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants, in competitive solicitations and contracts, including solicitations and contracts using FAR part 12 procedures for the acquisition of commercial products…
  • 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 15.002 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 15.305 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 15.403-1 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 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 (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.