FAR 11—Describing Agency Needs

Scope of part.

FAR 11.000 is the scope statement for FAR Part 11, and it tells readers that this part sets the policies and procedures for describing agency needs. In practice, that means Part 11 governs how the Government states what it wants before it buys supplies or services, including the way requirements are written and communicated to industry. Although this section is very short, it is important because the quality of the requirement description drives competition, pricing, evaluation, contract performance, and the ability to obtain the right product or service. It also signals that the rest of Part 11 is the place to look for the rules on defining needs in a way that supports effective acquisition planning and solicitation development. For contracting officers, program offices, and acquisition teams, this section is the gateway to the broader requirement-description framework used throughout federal procurement.

Definitions.

FAR 11.001 provides two key product-condition definitions used throughout FAR Part 11, which governs describing agency needs and specifying supplies and services. It defines "reconditioned" as restored to the original normal operating condition through readjustments and material replacement, and "remanufactured" as factory rebuilt to original specifications. These definitions matter because they help contracting officers, offerors, and evaluators distinguish between used, repaired, reconditioned, and remanufactured items when drafting requirements, evaluating offers, and determining whether a product meets the government’s stated need. In practice, the terms affect how agencies write specifications, how contractors label and price products, and how buyers assess whether a proposed item is acceptable. The section is short, but it is important because these words can change performance expectations, quality assumptions, warranty considerations, and the level of equivalency a contractor must demonstrate.

Subpart 11.1

Policy.

FAR 11.002 is the government’s core policy section for writing acquisition requirements. It covers how agencies must describe needs using market research, how to promote full and open competition or maximum practicable competition under simplified acquisition procedures, and how to avoid unnecessary restrictive provisions. It also directs agencies to frame requirements in functional, performance, or essential physical terms; to favor commercial products, commercial services, and nondevelopmental items; and to require prime contractors and subcontractors to flow those commercial solutions down where appropriate. In addition, it addresses use of the metric system, early industry input on requirements and specifications, sustainable acquisition and the Green Procurement Compilation, use of targets versus fixed performance levels, Section 508 ICT accessibility requirements, IPv6/USGv6 requirements for Internet Protocol acquisitions, and limits on telecommuting prohibitions in solicitations. In practice, this section shapes the front end of the acquisition process: it influences what gets written into the solicitation, how restrictive the competition will be, and whether the requirement is aligned with statutory policy, commercial practices, sustainability goals, accessibility obligations, and modern IT standards.

Subpart 11.2

Subpart 11.3

Subpart 11.4

Subpart 11.5

Subpart 11.6

Subpart 11.7

Subpart 11.8