FAR 52.217-11 Reverse Auction—Orders

As prescribed in 17.805(b), insert the following clause:

Reverse Auction—Orders (Aug 2024)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

Reverse auction means the process for obtaining pricing, usually supported by an electronic tool, in which offerors see competing offerors' price(s), without disclosure of the competing offerors' identity, and have the opportunity to submit lower priced offers until the close of the auction.

Reverse auction service provider means a commercial or Government entity that provides a means for conducting reverse auctions when acquiring supplies or services to be used by the Government.

(b) Reverse auction. The Contracting Officer may conduct a reverse auction to award an order under this contract or blanket purchase agreement.

(c) Contractor agreement. When a reverse auction is conducted under this contract or blanket purchase agreement, the following applies:

(1) The Contractor's or blanket purchase agreement holder's submission of a quote or proposal in response to the solicitation for an order constitutes agreement to participate in the auction.

(2) The Contractor agrees that the Government may reveal to all Offerors the offered price(s) in the auction, without revealing any Offerors' identity, except for the awardee's identity subsequent to an award resulting from the auction.

(3) The Contractor or blanket purchase agreement holder may withdraw its agreement to further participate in the reverse auction by withdrawing its offer. To withdraw an offer made in response to a reverse auction solicitation issued under this contract or blanket purchase agreement, the Contractor or blanket purchase agreement holder shall notify the Contracting Officer of the request before the close of the auction via the contact method identified in the solicitation.

(4) If the reverse auction produces only one offer, the Government reserves the right to cancel the auction.

(d) Release of information. The Government may use a reverse auction service provider to conduct the reverse auction. Any price or proposal information or source selection information received by the reverse auction service provider in relation to the reverse auction shall not be released, outside of the Government, unless otherwise required by law. However, this does not prevent the Government from revealing to all Contractors or blanket purchase agreement holders the offered price(s) in the auction, without revealing any Contractor or blanket purchase agreement holder's identity. Price or proposal information includes, but is not limited to—

(1) Contractor bid or proposal information, as defined at Federal Acquisition Regulation 3.104-1;

(2) Price or proposal information similarly generated for a task order or delivery order or an order under a blanket purchase agreement; and

(3) Information identified by the Contractor or blanket purchase agreement holder as restricted from duplication, use, or disclosure—in whole or in part—for any purpose other than to evaluate the Contractor or blanket purchase agreement holder's price or proposal.

(End of clause)