FAR 14.403—Recording of bids.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 14.403 explains how bid openings must be documented in sealed bidding. It covers the use of Standard Form 1409, Optional Form 1419, and their continuation sheets or automated equivalents; when and how the bid opening officer must complete and certify the abstract of offers; how much detail must be recorded when bids contain many line items; what information may be added in extra columns for agency use; public inspection requirements for abstracts of offers in unclassified acquisitions; limits on what may be disclosed, including responsibility findings, suspected collusion, and other exempt material under agency FOIA regulations; limited exceptions allowing certain Defense logistics activities to skip the listed forms for specific commodities; and the requirement to record a canceled invitation for bids if cancellation occurs before bid opening, including the number invited and received. In practice, this section ensures there is an accurate, auditable record of bid opening results while balancing transparency, procurement integrity, and disclosure restrictions. It is important for both contracting personnel and bidders because the abstract of offers becomes the official snapshot of competition and can be reviewed by the public in appropriate cases.
Key Rules
Complete the abstract promptly
The bid opening officer must complete and certify SF 1409 or OF 1419, or an automated equivalent, as soon after bid opening as practicable. This creates the official record of the bids received and helps preserve the integrity of the sealed bidding process.
Use continuation sheets as needed
If the bid schedule is too large to record every detail, the abstract may be limited to item numbers and bid prices. Extra columns, SF 1410, and OF 1419A may be used to capture additional information the contracting activity considers necessary.
Make unclassified abstracts public
Abstracts of offers for unclassified acquisitions must be available for public inspection. However, they must not include information about bidder responsibility failures, apparent collusion, or other material that agency FOIA regulations exempt from disclosure under subpart 24.2.
Recognize limited form exceptions
The specified abstract forms do not have to be used by the Defense Energy Support Center for coal or petroleum acquisitions or by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia for perishable subsistence items. These are narrow exceptions tied to particular agencies and commodity types.
Record canceled IFBs
If an invitation for bids is canceled before the scheduled bid opening, the record must show that fact along with the number of bids invited and the number of bids received. This preserves a basic audit trail even when the competition does not proceed to opening.
Responsibilities
Bid Opening Officer
Prepare the abstract of offers, ensure it is accurate, and certify it promptly after bid opening. The officer must also ensure the record reflects the required bid information and any necessary continuation-sheet entries.
Contracting Activity
Determine what additional information should be captured in extra columns or continuation sheets and ensure the abstract format supports the agency’s recordkeeping needs. The activity must also follow disclosure rules for public inspection and exempt information.
Agency FOIA/Disclosure Officials
Apply agency regulations implementing subpart 24.2 to remove or withhold information that is exempt from public release, including responsibility-related notations and suspected collusion references.
Defense Energy Support Center
For coal or petroleum product acquisitions, it may use methods other than the forms identified in paragraph (a), consistent with this section’s exception.
Defense Supply Center Philadelphia
For perishable subsistence item acquisitions, it may use methods other than the forms identified in paragraph (a), consistent with this section’s exception.
Contracting Officer
Ensure the procurement file contains the required record of bid opening results or cancellation, and that the abstract is available for inspection when required. The contracting officer must also ensure the record is complete enough for audit and protest support.
Practical Implications
The abstract of offers is not just a clerical form; it is the official record of what was bid, so errors or omissions can create audit, protest, or transparency problems.
For large line-item procurements, agencies do not have to transcribe every detail, but they must still preserve enough information to identify the bids and prices accurately.
Public release is required for unclassified abstracts, but personnel must be careful not to include responsibility judgments, collusion suspicions, or other exempt material that could improperly disclose sensitive procurement information.
If an IFB is canceled before opening, the file still needs a clear record of the cancellation and the number invited and received; failing to document this can leave the procurement history incomplete.
The narrow exceptions for certain Defense supply activities do not eliminate the need for a reliable bid record; they only allow different forms or methods for those specific acquisitions.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Standard Form 1409 , Abstract of Offers, or Optional Form 1419 , Abstract of Offers-Construction (or automated equivalent), shall be completed and certified as to its accuracy by the bid opening officer as soon after bid opening as practicable. Where bid items are too numerous to warrant complete recording of all bids, abstract entries for individual bids may be limited to item numbers and bid prices. In preparing these forms, the extra columns and SF 1410 , Abstract of Offers-Continuation, and OF 1419A , Abstract of Offer-Construction, Continuation Sheet, may be used to label and record such information as the contracting activity deems necessary. (b) Abstracts of offers for unclassified acquisitions shall be available for public inspection. Such abstracts shall not contain information regarding failure to meet minimum standards of responsibility, apparent collusion of bidders, or other notations properly exempt from disclosure to the public in accordance with agency regulations implementing subpart 24.2 . (c) The forms identified in paragraph (a) of this section need not be used by the Defense Energy Support Center for acquisitions of coal or petroleum products or by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia for perishable subsistence items. (d) If an invitation for bids is canceled before the time set for bid opening, this fact shall be recorded together with a statement of the number of bids invited and the number of bids received.