SpendQueryBeta

48 CFR · Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense supplement

FAR and DFARS navigator

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.

Ask the FAR

Try: · · ·

Clear

46 sections with “selection authority”: the first 40

  • FAR 36.602-4 Selection authority.
    (a) The final selection decision shall be made by the agency head or a designated selection authority. (b) The selection authority shall review the recommendations of the evaluation board and shall, with the advice of appropriate technical…
  • FAR 15.101-2 Lowest price technically acceptable source selection process.
    (a) The lowest price technically acceptable source selection process is appropriate when best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price. (b) When using the lowest pric…
  • FAR 15.308 Source selection decision.
    The source selection authority's (SSA) decision shall be based on a comparative assessment of proposals against all source selection criteria in the solicitation. While the SSA may use reports and analyses prepared by others, the source sel…
  • FAR 36.602-5 Short selection process for contracts not to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.
    …ld. Otherwise, the procedures prescribed in 36.602-3 and 36.602-4 shall be followed. (a) Selection by the board. The board shall review and evaluate architect-engineer firms in accordance with 36.602-3, except that the selection report sha…
  • FAR 3.104-3 Statutory and related prohibitions, restrictions, and requirements.
    …n as provided by law, knowingly disclose contractor bid or proposal information or source selection information before the award of a Federal agency procurement contract to which the information relates. (See 3.104-4(a).) (2) Paragraph (a)…
  • FAR 36.606 Negotiations.
    (a) Unless otherwise specified by the selection authority, the final selection authorizes the contracting officer to begin negotiations. Negotiations shall be conducted in accordance with part 15 of this chapter, beginning with the most pre…
  • DFARS 203.170 Business practices.
    To ensure the separation of functions for oversight, source selection, contract negotiation, and contract award, departments and agencies shall adhere to the following best practice policies: (a) Senior leaders shall not perform multiple r…
  • DFARS 215.101-2-70 Limitations and prohibitions.
    …ibitions apply when considering the use of the lowest price technically acceptable source selection procedures. (a) Limitations. (1) In accordance with section 813 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 11…
  • FAR 15.303 Responsibilities.
    (a) Agency heads are responsible for source selection. The contracting officer is designated as the source selection authority, unless the agency head appoints another individual for a particular acquisition or group of acquisitions. (b) T…
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    …ed and includes the description of requirements to satisfy agency needs, solicitation and selection of sources, award of contracts, contract financing, contract performance, contract administration, and those technical and management functi…
  • FAR 7.105 Contents of written acquisition plans.
    …o increasing subcontract competition and address how to overcome them. (3) Contract type selection. Discuss the rationale for the selection of contract type. For other than firm-fixed-price contracts, see 16.103(d) for additional documenta…
  • FAR 15.102 Oral presentations.
    …ns as a substitute for portions of a proposal can be effective in streamlining the source selection process. Oral presentations may occur at any time in the acquisition process, and are subject to the same restrictions as written informatio…
  • FAR 15.305 Proposal evaluation.
    …obtained from any other sources, when evaluating the offeror past performance. The source selection authority shall determine the relevance of similar past performance information. (iii) The evaluation should take into account past perform…
  • FAR 16.505 Ordering.
    …d the contract; (E) Consider price or cost under each order as one of the factors in the selection decision; (F) Except for DoD, ensure the criteria at 15.101-2(c)(1)-(5) are met when using the lowest price technically acceptable source s…
  • FAR 36.602-3 Evaluation board functions.
    …lative utility of alternative methods of furnishing the required services. (d) Prepare a selection report for the agency head or other designated selection authority recommending, in order of preference, at least three firms that are consi…
  • FAR 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition.
    …(9) If a cost realism analysis is performed, cost realism may be considered by the source selection authority in evaluating performance or schedule risk. (10) A written award or acceptance of proposal mailed or otherwise furnished to the s…
  • DFARS 215.303 Responsibilities.
    … high-dollar value and other acquisitions, as prescribed by agency procedures, the source selection authority shall approve a source selection plan before the solicitation is issued. Follow the procedures at PGI 215.303(b)(2) for preparatio…
  • DFARS 252.244-7001 Contractor Purchasing System Administration.
    …system or systems for purchasing and subcontracting, including make-or-buy decisions, the selection of vendors, analysis of quoted prices, negotiation of prices with vendors, placing and administering of orders, and expediting delivery of m…
  • FAR 7.503 Policy.
    …) The direction and control of intelligence and counter-intelligence operations. (9) The selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment, including the interviewing of individuals for employment. (10) The appro…
  • DFARS 252.203-7000 Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials.
    …rogram manager, procuring contracting officer, administrative contracting officer, source selection authority, member of the source selection evaluation board, or chief of a financial or technical evaluation team for a contract in an amount…
  • FAR 3.104-5 Disqualification.
    …tion from further participation in the procurement to the contracting officer, the source selection authority if other than the contracting officer, and the agency official's immediate supervisor. As a minimum, the notice must— (1) Identif…
  • FAR 3.104-6 Ethics advisory opinions regarding prohibitions on a former official's acceptance of compensation from a contractor.
    … provide more information or request information from other persons, including the source selection authority, the contracting officer, or the requester's immediate supervisor. (2) In issuing an opinion, the agency ethics official may rely…
  • DFARS 201.603-2 Selection.
    (1) In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 1724, in order to qualify to serve as a contracting officer with authority to award or administer contracts for amounts above the simplified acquisition threshold, a person must— (i) Have completed all cont…
  • FAR 3.700 Scope of subpart.
    …ct of interest, disclosure or receipt of contractor bid or proposal information or source selection information in exchange for a thing of value or to give anyone a competitive advantage in the award of a Federal agency procurement contract…
  • DFARS 215.506 Postaward debriefing of offerors.
    …or nontraditional defense contractor to request disclosure of the agency's written source selection decision document, redacted to protect the confidential and proprietary information of other offerors for the contract award. (ii) For awar…
  • FAR 1.102-5 Role of the acquisition team.
    …e empowered to make acquisition decisions within their areas of responsibility, including selection, negotiation, and administration of contracts consistent with the Guiding Principles. In particular, the contracting officer must have the a…
  • FAR 3.104-1 Definitions.
    … the development of performance standards, statements of work, or specifications. Source selection evaluation board means any board, team, council, or other group that evaluates bids or proposals.
  • FAR 3.104-7 Violations or possible violations.
    …ne if the reported violation or possible violation has any impact on the pending award or selection of the contractor. (1) If the contracting officer concludes that there is no impact on the procurement, the contracting officer must forwar…
  • FAR 4.803 Contents of contract files.
    …survey reports or reference to previous preaward survey reports relied upon. (13) Source selection documentation. (14) Contracting officer's determination of the contractor's responsibility. (15) Small Business Administration Certificate…
  • FAR 6.302-5 Authorized or required by statute.
    … (iii) States that award to that entity shall be made in contravention of the merit-based selection procedures in 10 U.S.C. 3201(e) or 41 U.S.C. 3105, as appropriate. However, this limitation does not apply— (A) When the work provided for …
  • FAR 14.211 Release of acquisition information.
    …nfair advantage over another. See 3.104 regarding requirements for proprietary and source selection information including access to and disclosure thereof. (b) After solicitation. Discussions with prospective bidders regarding a solicitati…
  • FAR 15.404-2 Data to support proposal analysis.
    …b)(5). (5) Field pricing information and other reports may include proprietary or source selection information (see 2.101). This information must be appropriately identified and protected accordingly. (b) Reporting field pricing informati…
  • FAR 16.500 Scope of subpart.
    …awards for architect-engineer services using the procedures in this subpart, provided the selection of contractors and placement of orders are consistent with subpart 36.6. (e) See subpart 19.5 for procedures to set aside part or parts of …
  • FAR 23.202 Policy.
    … (c) To solicit and award an ESPC, the contracting officer— (1) Must use the procedures, selection method, and terms and conditions provided in 10 CFR part 436, subpart B; and (2) May use the “Qualified List” of energy service companies e…
  • FAR 37.102 Policy.
    … 15.101-2(d) for limitations on the use of the lowest price technically acceptable source selection process to acquire certain services.
  • DFARS 209.570-2 Policy.
    …(ii) DoD took appropriate steps to prevent any organizational conflict of interest in the selection process; or (2) The entity was selected by a subcontractor to serve as a lower-tier subcontractor, through a process over which the entity …
  • DFARS 215.101-71 Tradeoff process when acquiring fuel for overseas contingency operations.
    (a) When conducting a source selection for the acquisition of fuel that is for an overseas contingency operation and is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, the contracting officer shall consider using a tradeoff process…
  • DFARS 216.505 Ordering.
    …limitations and prohibitions on the use of the lowest price technically acceptable source selection process, which are applicable to orders placed against multiple award indefinite delivery contracts. (B) See 217.7801 for the prohibition o…
  • DFARS 225.7304 FMS customer involvement.
    …ordance with subpart 201.4. (f) Do not accept directions from the FMS customer on source selection decisions or contract terms (except that, upon timely notice, the contracting officer may attempt to obtain any special contract provisions,…
  • DFARS 234.004 Acquisition strategy.
    …e of a space program, Key Decision Point B approval; (B) The basis for the contract type selection shall be documented in the acquisition strategy. The documentation— (1) Shall include an explanation of the level of program risk; and (2)…

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.