may have to go beyond the GPE. We will expand on this in a later article on market research. It is also important to note that in one case, a presolicitation notice at this stage is required for the Depart - ment of War (DoW). Defense Federal Ac- quisition Regulation Supplement Procedures, Guidance, and Information (DFARS PGI 206.103- 170(d)) states that when you do not plan to solicit as full and open com - petition because you believe there is only one source (exception one), you must publish a request for informa - tion or sources sought notice. The re - sulting information will be included in the Justification and Approval (J&A) and will contribute to the rationale for limiting competition. Before Issuing a Solicitation Once we are close to releasing a so - licitation, things change. FAR 5.101 re - quire certain notices to be published in the GPE with strict timelines. The requirements depend on the value of the proposed action, whether the items are commercial or not, whether a trade agreement applies (see note on page 24), or whether an exception exists. Also see Table 1, adapted from FAR Table 5-2. Less than $20,000. If your propos- ed contract action is $20,000 or less, no publication in the GPE is required.
By its very nature, the GPE is a perfect source to obtain feedback from industry to help us with our market research and acquisition planning.
Of course, you could opt to publicize it in some way, but it is not required. More than $20,000 but less than or equal to $25,000. If your proposed action exceeds $20,000 but does not exceed $25,000, you must post it to the GPE for 10 days. More than $25,000 but less than or equal to Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). In this range, you must post the requirement in the GPE. Posting (or publicizing) times are generally calculated from when the notice is published in the GPE. Publicizing time specifies how long the notice must be published on the GPE before you issue your solicita - tion. In this dollar range, it requires posting for a minimum of 15 days be- fore you issue your solicitation . More Than the SAT. Over the SAT (currently $350,000 for most actions), posting times differ depending on the commerciality of the product you are buying. For noncommercial items, the notice must be published
15 days before you issue your solicita - tion. For commercial items, you may post them for a shorter period and will ideally combine the presolicita - tion notice with the solicitation itself (FAR Table 5-2) . FAR 12.202 discusses this further. When you think about it, if dealing with commercial items, it makes sense to have shorter times, as the companies already sell these items to the public. As an aside, DFARS PGI 205. 101-70 discusses the use of the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), which automatically posts to the GPE. In fact, effective Oct. 1, 2026, contracting officers in DoW must use the PIEE to publish unclassified solic - itations and receive offers unless an exception applies as listed in DFARS PGI 205.101-70(b)(1). Solicitation Notices After you issue your presolicitation notice and wait the required period, you may then issue your solicitation.
Table 1. Minimum Timeframes for Posting Presolicitation Notices
Acquisition
Value
Description
Timing
>$20,000 to ≤ $25,000*
Any acquisition
Must be posted for 10 days
>$25K to ≤ SAT*
Any acquisition
15 days before solicitation issuance
Acquisition of commercial products or commercial services
Combined with the solicitation
>SAT
Noncommercial acquisitions
15 days before solicitation issuance
Source: Adapted from FAR Table 5-2 Note. SAT = Simplified Acquisition Threshold.
22 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | MAY – JUNE 2026
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