tant statement that all responsible sources may submit a quote, offer, or bid that will be considered by the agency. (This is, again, in support of full and open competition.) The requirements for the Solicita - tion Notice are similar in FAR 5.201(c), adding access to technical data and, if brand name specifications are in - volved, the justification. (It is worth noting that for DoW, DFARS 211.204 requires a formal Justification and Approval when soliciting brand name or equal purchase descriptions.) The contents of the Award Notice are necessarily different in FAR 5.301(c). They include a description of the items, government points of contact, name of successful contractors, dol - lar amount, and award date. FC 5.101 provides tips on how to craft effec - tive presolicitation notices to ensure maximum effectiveness. Summary Your customers may view the net effect of all this as adding to lead time. For noncommercial items over the SAT, you have added at least 45 days to your process time: This in - cudes 15 days presolicitation and 30 days’ response time. If your cus - tomers balk, remind them about the benefits to be gained, such as more innovation, better prices, and an ex -
panded industrial base—and of the fact that it is written into the law.
If your customers balk,
JONES is a professor of Contract Manage- ment at Warfighting Acquisition University’s South Region. She has worked in the defense contracting field for 44 years and holds a B.S. from the College of William and Mary. The author can be contacted at jennifer.jones@waru.edu . The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the Department of War. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
remind them about the benefits
to be gained, such as more innovation, better prices,
and an expanded industrial base— and of the fact that it is written into the law.
Related Resources
– WarU Contracting Subway Map – Market Research: Gathering Information About Commercial Products and Services – Market Research Report Guide for Improving the Tradecraft in Services Acquisition – WarU Contracting Basics The Buy American Statute and the Trade Agreements Act—A Contracting Basics Event – (CON 0040) Market Research (Online Training Course) – (CON 0161) Competition in Contracting (Online Training Course) – (CON 7800) Commercial Acquisition (Online Training Course)
quired if doing so would compromise national security.) Content of Notices FAR 5.101(c) discusses what must be included in Presolicitation Notices. The list includes essential informa - tion regarding the purchase such as points of contact, set-aside status, codes, description, technical infor - mation, discussion of competition or lack thereof and why, and an impor -
MAY – JUNE 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 25
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