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Unsolicited Proposals

FAR Subpart 15.6 describes the circumstances under which a Government agency may review and accept a proposal which is submitted on the initiative of the offeror and that is not in response to any Government-initiated solicitation or program. It says that a valid unsolicited proposal must:

• Be innovative and unique;

• Be independently originated and developed by the offeror;

• Be prepared without Government supervision, endorsement, direction, or direct Government involvement;

• Include sufficient detail to permit a determination that Government support could be worthwhile and the proposed work could benefit the agency’s research and development or other mission responsibilities; and

• Not be an advance proposal for a known agency requirement that can be acquired by competitive methods.

In order to be acceptable for formal evaluation, an unsolicited proposal must contain:

(a) basic information, including:

1. offeror’s name and address and type of organization (e.g., profit, nonprofit, educational, small business);

2. names and telephone numbers of technical and business personnel to be contacted for evaluation or negotiation purposes;

3. identification of proprietary data to be used only for evaluation purposes;

4. names of other Federal, State, or local agencies or parties receiving the proposal or funding the proposed effort;

5. date of submission; and

6. signature of a person authorized to represent and contractually obligate the offeror;

(b) technical information, including:

1. concise title and abstract (approximately 200 words) of the proposed effort;

2. a reasonably complete discussion stating the objectives of the effort or activity, the method of approach and extent of effort to be employed, the nature and extent of the anticipated results, and the manner in which the work will help to support accomplishment of the agency’s mission;

3. names and biographical information on the offeror’s key personnel who would be involved, including alternates; and

4. type of support needed from the agency (e.g., facilities, equipment, materials, or personnel resources); and

(c) supporting information, including:

1. proposed price or total estimated cost for the effort in sufficient detail for meaningful evaluation;

2. period of time for which the proposal is valid (6-month minimum suggested);

3. type of contract preferred;

4. proposed duration of effort;

5. brief description of the organization, previous experience, relevant past performance, and facilities to be used;

6. other statements, if applicable, about organizational conflicts of interest, security clearances, and environmental impacts; and

7. names and telephone numbers of agency technical or other agency points of contact already contacted regarding the proposal.

If you are considering submitting an unsolicited proposal, please review Subpart 15.6 for a more complete discussion of how your proposal will be reviewed and evaluated, and what language you can use to be sure any proprietary information in your proposal is protected.

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