Overview
FAR 15.302 defines the primary goal of the source selection process in negotiated procurements. It establishes "best value" as the singular governing standard for choosing a winning contractor.
Key Rules
- Best Value Standard: The government is mandated to select the proposal that offers the most advantageous outcome based on the criteria defined in the solicitation.
- Flexibility: This objective allows the government to consider factors other than just the lowest price, such as technical merit, past performance, and risk.
- Foundation of FAR Part 15: This section serves as the guiding principle for all subsequent procedures in the source selection process, including evaluations and tradeoff analyses.
Practical Implications
- Contracting Officers are empowered to perform a tradeoff analysis, justifying the award to a higher-priced offeror if the technical superiority of that proposal warrants the additional cost.
- Proposers must focus on demonstrating overall value and benefit to the government rather than simply competing on a "lowest cost" basis, unless the solicitation specifically dictates a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) approach.