How to Read a Federal Solicitation

Format rule

FAR 15.204-1 Uniform Contract Format

Sections

A through M (13 sections)

Instructions to offerors

Section L

Evaluation factors

Section M

Statement of work

Section C

Amendment form

Standard Form 30

Commercial solicitation form

Standard Form 1449

Evaluation methods

LPTA or best value tradeoff

The four kinds of requests

A request for information, or RFI, is market research. The agency wants to learn what the market offers and does not intend to award a contract from it. Your response is not an offer, and it costs nothing to send, yet it can shape how the agency writes the final requirement.

A request for quotations, or RFQ, is used mostly for purchases under simplified acquisition procedures, up to $350,000, and for commercial purchases up to $9 million. A quote is not a binding offer. The government's order is the offer, and a contract forms when you accept it, either in writing or by starting the work.

An invitation for bids, or IFB, is used for sealed bidding. Bids are opened in public at a set time, and the award goes to the responsible bidder whose bid meets every requirement and offers the best price and price-related factors. There are no discussions, so your bid must be complete and correct as submitted.

A request for proposals, or RFP, is used for negotiated contracts under FAR Part 15. Your proposal is a binding offer. The agency evaluates proposals against stated factors, can hold discussions with offerors in the competitive range, and may ask for revised proposals before making an award.

The Uniform Contract Format

Most RFPs and many IFBs follow the Uniform Contract Format, set out in FAR 15.204-1. It divides the solicitation into 13 sections labeled A through M, grouped into four parts. Knowing the layout lets you find any requirement in minutes.

Section A is the solicitation or contract form, often Standard Form 33 or 1447, and it shows the due date, the contracting office and the solicitation number. Section B lists the supplies or services and the price lines you fill in, often called contract line items. Section C is the statement of work or specifications, which describes exactly what you must deliver.

Section D covers packaging and marking, Section E covers inspection and acceptance, and Section F covers delivery dates or the period of performance. Section G gives contract administration data, such as invoicing instructions and the names of government representatives. Section H lists special contract requirements unique to this contract.

Section I contains the contract clauses, usually listed by FAR clause number and title. Section J lists attachments, such as a pricing sheet, wage determination or performance work statement. Section K holds the representations and certifications you make, though most of these come from your SAM.gov registration.

Section L and Section M

Section L contains the instructions, conditions and notices to offerors. It tells you how to organize your proposal, how many volumes to submit, page limits, font size, file formats, and where and how to deliver it. Following Section L exactly is the first step to a proposal that gets fully evaluated.

Section M lists the evaluation factors for award. It names each factor, such as technical approach, past performance and price, and states how important each one is compared to the others. Section M is how the agency will score you, so it tells you what to emphasize.

Read Sections L and M side by side. Many businesses build a simple table that pairs each instruction in Section L with the matching factor in Section M and the part of Section C it relates to. This table becomes your outline, and it helps you answer every requirement in the order the evaluators expect.

Commercial solicitations

Purchases of commercial products and services use a simpler format. They are built on Standard Form 1449, with the schedule of prices, the description of work, the contract clauses and the evaluation terms combined in fewer pages. The clause at FAR 52.212-1 gives the instructions to offerors and 52.212-2 gives the evaluation factors when the agency uses it.

The same reading approach still works. Find the instructions, find the evaluation factors, and match them to the description of the work. Many of these purchases come as a combined synopsis/solicitation posted directly on SAM.gov.

Amendments

Agencies change solicitations through amendments, usually issued on Standard Form 30. An amendment can change the due date, answer questions, revise the statement of work or replace an attachment. Each amendment is posted on SAM.gov with the original notice.

You must acknowledge every amendment, usually by signing the SF 30 and including it with your offer or by listing the amendment numbers on the solicitation form. Following the notice on SAM.gov sends you an email whenever an amendment is posted. Check the notice again the day before you submit so your offer reflects the final version.

Questions and answers

Most solicitations set a deadline for questions that falls well before offers are due, and Section L or the cover letter states the exact date and the email address to use. Send questions in writing to the contracting officer or contract specialist named in the solicitation. Only the contracting officer can change the terms of a solicitation.

The agency answers questions in an amendment so every offeror sees the same information. Good questions point to a specific section and page and suggest a clear fix. If something in Section L and Section M seems to conflict, ask about it before the deadline.

How offers are evaluated

Section M tells you which method the agency will use. Under lowest price technically acceptable, often called LPTA, each proposal is rated acceptable or unacceptable on the non-price factors. The award goes to the lowest-priced offer that is technically acceptable, and there is no extra credit for exceeding the requirements.

Under a best value tradeoff, the agency weighs price against the non-price factors. It can award to an offeror that is not the lowest priced if the better technical approach or past performance is worth the higher price. Section M must say whether the non-price factors combined are more important than, about equal to, or less important than price.

Price is evaluated in every competitive acquisition, and past performance is evaluated in most negotiated competitions above the simplified acquisition threshold. Under both methods, the agency checks that you are responsible, meaning you have the resources, record and integrity to do the work. Knowing the method helps you decide how much to invest in extra features and how sharply to price.

A simple reading routine

Start with Section A or the cover page to note the due date, time zone and delivery method. Next, read Sections L and M, then Section C, then Section B to understand pricing. Read the clauses in Section I last, looking up any you do not know at acquisition.gov.

Your local APEX Accelerator can review a solicitation with you for free and help you understand unfamiliar clauses. The SBA district office and Small Business Development Centers also offer free training on proposal writing.

Sources

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.204-1
https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.101
https://www.acquisition.gov/far/13.004
https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-14
https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.212-1
https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-16412.pdf

Checked October 2026. Thresholds and rules change; each source above is the official page.