Overview
FAR 14.212 mandates that contracting officers follow the acquisition planning requirements for economic purchase quantities when procuring supplies through sealed bidding. It serves as a regulatory bridge, directing officials to FAR Subpart 7.2 for specific procedures on maximizing cost-efficiency through quantity adjustments.
Key Rules
- Compliance Requirement: Contracting officers must adhere to the economic purchase quantity planning requirements found in FAR Subpart 7.2.
- Provision Instruction: The section points to FAR 7.203 for specific directions on when and how to insert the solicitation provision at 52.207-4, Economic Purchase Quantity—Supplies.
- Response Evaluation: It directs officers to FAR 7.204 for guidance on how to process and handle information provided by bidders in response to the economic purchase quantity provision.
Practical Implications
- Contracting officers are required to give bidders the opportunity to recommend different quantity levels that would result in lower unit prices due to economies of scale.
- This rule ensures the government remains flexible during the sealed bidding process to capture potential cost savings that may not have been identified during the initial requirement definition phase.