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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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107 sections with “proposal evaluation”: the first 40

  • FAR 15.305 Proposal evaluation.
    (a) Proposal evaluation is an assessment of the proposal and the offeror's ability to perform the prospective contract successfully. An agency shall evaluate competitive proposals and then assess their relative qualities solely on the facto…
  • DFARS § 215.305 215.305 Proposal evaluation.
    (a)(2) Past performance evaluation. (A) When a past performance evaluation is required by FAR 15.304, and the solicitation includes the clause at FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns, the evaluation factors shall include the…
  • FAR 15.201 Exchanges with industry before receipt of proposals.
    … interested parties, from the earliest identification of a requirement through receipt of proposals, are encouraged. Any exchange of information must be consistent with procurement integrity requirements (see 3.104). Interested parties incl…
  • FAR 15.203 Requests for proposals.
    (a) Requests for proposals (RFPs) are used in negotiated acquisitions to communicate Government requirements to prospective contractors and to solicit proposals. RFPs for competitive acquisitions shall, at a minimum, describe the— (1) Gove…
  • FAR 15.306 Exchanges with offerors after receipt of proposals.
    …nducting discussions, offerors may be given the opportunity to clarify certain aspects of proposals (e.g., the relevance of an offeror's past performance information and adverse past performance information to which the offeror has not prev…
  • FAR 15.404-1 Proposal analysis techniques.
    (a) General. The objective of proposal analysis is to ensure that the final agreed-to price is fair and reasonable. (1) The contracting officer is responsible for evaluating the reasonableness of the offered prices. The analytical techniqu…
  • FAR 15.606-2 Evaluation.
    … coordinated by the agency contact point, who shall attach or imprint on each unsolicited proposal, circulated for evaluation, the legend required by 15.609(d). When performing a comprehensive evaluation of an unsolicited proposal, evaluato…
  • FAR 15.607 Criteria for acceptance and negotiation of an unsolicited proposal.
    (a) A favorable comprehensive evaluation of an unsolicited proposal does not, in itself, justify awarding a contract without providing for full and open competition. The agency point of contact shall return an unsolicited proposal to the of…
  • DFARS 252.227-7016 Rights in Bid or Proposal Information.
    …-6(e)(1), 227.7104-4(b)(1), or 227.7203-6(b), use the following clause: Rights In Bid or Proposal Information (JAN 2025) (a) Definitions. (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Computer software is defined in— (1) The 252.227-7014, R…
  • 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 14.503-1 Step one.
    (a) Requests for technical proposals shall be synopsized in accordance with Part 5. The request must include, as a minimum, the following: (1) A description of the supplies or services required. (2) A statement of intent to use the two st…
  • FAR 15.605 Content of unsolicited proposals.
    Unsolicited proposals should contain the following information to permit consideration in an objective and timely manner: (a) Basic information including— (1) Offeror's name and address and type of organization; e.g., profit, nonprofit, e…
  • FAR 27.407 Rights to technical data in successful proposals.
    The clause at 52.227-23, Rights to Proposal Data (Technical), allows the Government to acquire unlimited rights to technical data in successful proposals. Pursuant to the clause, the prospective contractor is afforded the opportunity to spe…
  • FAR 30.604 Processing changes to disclosed or established cost accounting practices.
    …rmined desirable changes), request the contractor submit a general dollar magnitude (GDM) proposal by a specified date, unless the CFAO determines the cost impact is immaterial; or (ii) For unilateral changes that the contractor requests t…
  • FAR 30.605 Processing noncompliances.
    …) Request that the contractor submit by a specified date a general dollar magnitude (GDM) proposal, unless the CFAO determines the cost impact is immaterial; and (C) Follow the procedures at paragraph (b)(4) of this section if the CFAO det…
  • FAR 31.205-18 Independent research and development and bid and proposal costs.
    … the term development, defined in this subsection. Basic research, (See 2.101). Bid and proposal (B&P) costs means the costs incurred in preparing, submitting, and supporting bids and proposals (whether or not solicited) on potential Gove…
  • DFARS 252.247-7026 Evaluation Preference for Use of Domestic Shipyards—Applicable to Acquisition of Carriage by Vessel for DoD Cargo in the Coastwise or Noncontiguous Trade.
    …as been performed during the period covering the current calendar year, up to the date of proposal submission, and the preceding four calendar years: (1) Name of vessel. (2) Description and cost of qualifying shipyard work performed in U.…
  • FAR 52.222-46 Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees.
    …ployees, as defined in 29 CFR 541, be properly and fairly compensated. As a part of their proposals, offerors will submit a total compensation plan setting forth salaries and fringe benefits proposed for the professional employees who will …
  • DFARS 215.203-70 Requests for proposals—tiered evaluation of offers.
    (a) The tiered or cascading order of precedence used for tiered evaluation of offers shall be consistent with FAR part 19. (b) Consideration shall be given to the tiers of small businesses (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone small business, service-disab…
  • DFARS 247.270-3 Evaluation of bids and proposals.
    As a minimum, require that offers include— (a) Tonnage or commodity rates that apply to the bulk of the cargo worked under normal conditions; (b) Labor-hour rates that apply to services not covered by commodity rates, or to work performed…
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    … a general announcement of an agency's research interest including criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all offerors capable of satisfying the Government's needs (see 6.102(d)(2)). Building or work means con…
  • FAR 3.104-1 Definitions.
    …ual, specifically in exchange for services provided by the individual. Contractor bid or proposal information means any of the following information submitted to a Federal agency as part of or in connection with a bid or proposal to enter …
  • FAR 11.801 Preaward in-use evaluation.
    … in the solicitation. The results of such tests or demonstrations may be used to rate the proposal, to determine technical acceptability, or otherwise to evaluate the proposal (see 15.305).
  • FAR 14.201-6 Solicitation provisions.
    …on at 52.214-23, Late Submissions, Modifications, Revisions, and Withdrawals of Technical Proposals under Two-Step Sealed Bidding, in solicitations for technical proposals in step one of two-step sealed bidding. (s) Insert the provision at…
  • FAR 15.101-2 Lowest price technically acceptable source selection process.
    …priate when best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price. (b) When using the lowest price technically acceptable process, the following apply: (1) The evaluation fa…
  • FAR 15.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
    …Table 15-2 of this section; (2) Use the provision with its Alternate II if copies of the proposal are to be sent to the ACO and contract auditor; (3) Use the provision with its Alternate III if submission via electronic media is required;…
  • FAR 15.604 Agency points of contact.
    …h agency technical or other appropriate personnel before preparing a detailed unsolicited proposal or submitting proprietary information to the Government may save considerable time and effort for both parties (see 15.201). Agencies must ma…
  • FAR 15.606-1 Receipt and initial review.
    …re initiating a comprehensive evaluation, the agency contact point shall determine if the proposal— (1) Is a valid unsolicited proposal, meeting the requirements of 15.603(c); (2) Is suitable for submission in response to an existing agen…
  • FAR 15.609 Limited use of data.
    (a) An unsolicited proposal may include data that the offeror does not want disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes. If the offeror wishes to restrict the data, the title page must be…
  • FAR 35.007 Solicitations.
    (a) The submission and subsequent evaluation of an inordinate number of R&D proposals from sources lacking appropriate qualifications is costly and time-consuming to both industry and the Government. Therefore, contracting officers should i…
  • FAR 35.016 Broad agency announcement.
    …pecific system or hardware solution. The BAA technique shall only be used when meaningful proposals with varying technical/scientific approaches can be reasonably anticipated. (b) The BAA, together with any supporting documents, shall— (1…
  • FAR 42.302 Contract administration functions.
    …s. (3) Conduct post-award orientation conferences. (4) Review and evaluate contractors' proposals under subpart 15.4 and, when negotiation will be accomplished by the contracting officer, furnish comments and recommendations to that offic…
  • FAR 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition.
    …t the Contracting Officer's discretion, result in the offeror being allowed to revise its proposal. In writing, writing, or written means any worded or numbered expression that can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and includes …
  • FAR 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan.
    …f construction work from the small business concerns that it used in preparing the bid or proposal, in the same or greater scope, amount, and quality used in preparing and submitting the bid or proposal. Responding to a request for a quote …
  • FAR 52.248-1 Value Engineering.
    …al. The Contractor is encouraged to develop, prepare, and submit value engineering change proposals (VECP's) voluntarily. The Contractor shall share in any net acquisition savings realized from accepted VECP's, in accordance with the incent…
  • DFARS 212.7004 Procedures.
    …uirements (see 227.7102 and 227.7202); (3) Describe the evaluation factors for selecting proposals to include— (i) Technical and importance to agency programs as the primary evaluation factors; (ii) Price to the extent appropriate, but a…
  • DFARS 215.304 Evaluation factors and significant subfactors.
    … or subcontractor. (A) See PGI 215.304(c)(i)(A) for examples of evaluation factors. (B) Proposals addressing the extent of small business performance shall be separate from subcontracting plans submitted pursuant to the clause at FAR 52.2…
  • DFARS 215.404-71-2 Performance risk.
    …rates efficient management and cost control through the submittal of a timely, qualifying proposal (as defined in 217.7401) in furtherance of definitization of an undefinitized contract action, and the proposal demonstrates effective cost c…
  • DFARS 244.305-70 Policy.
    … contract administration activities. (f) Mitigating the risk of deficiencies on specific proposals. (1) Source selection evaluation teams shall discuss identified deficiencies and their impact in all reports on contractor proposals until …
  • FAR 3.103-2 Evaluating the certification.
    …ragraph (b) of the certificate, the contracting officer shall reject the offeror's bid or proposal. (2) If the offeror deleted or modified paragraph (a)(2) of the certificate, the offeror must have furnished with its offer a signed stateme…

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.