FAR 15.207—Handling proposals and information.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 15.207 addresses how agencies must handle proposals and information received in response to a request for information (RFI) once they arrive at the location named in the solicitation. It covers three main topics: date-and-time stamping and routing of received proposals and RFI responses, safeguarding proposals and RFI information from unauthorized disclosure during the source selection process, and the special procedure for unreadable portions of proposals submitted electronically or by facsimile. The rule exists to protect the integrity of competition, preserve fairness among offerors, and prevent premature or improper disclosure of source selection information. In practice, it means contracting personnel must control incoming submissions carefully, maintain confidentiality, and act quickly if an electronic or fax submission cannot be read. It also gives offerors a limited opportunity to cure unreadable submissions, but only under the contracting officer’s prescribed method, timing, and documentation requirements. The section works together with FAR 15.208 on timeliness and FAR 3.104 on protected source selection information, so agencies must manage both receipt procedures and disclosure controls consistently.
Key Rules
Stamp and route receipts
When proposals or RFI responses are received at the location specified in the solicitation, they must be marked with the date and time of receipt and transmitted to the designated officials. This creates an official receipt record and helps ensure proper handling and evaluation.
Protect proposal confidentiality
Proposals must be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure throughout the source selection process. This includes protecting source selection information under FAR 3.104 and the related statutory restrictions on obtaining and disclosing certain information.
Protect RFI responses adequately
Information received in response to an RFI must also be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure, though the rule uses the standard of adequate protection rather than the stronger proposal-specific language. Agencies still must prevent improper access or release.
Notify on unreadable submissions
If any portion of a proposal submitted electronically or by facsimile is unreadable, the contracting officer must immediately notify the offeror. The offeror must then be allowed to resubmit the unreadable portion.
Set resubmission terms
The contracting officer, after consulting with the offeror, must prescribe the method and time for resubmission and document those terms in the contract file. This ensures the cure process is controlled and auditable.
Treat cured submission as original
If the offeror complies with the prescribed time and format requirements, the resubmitted unreadable portion is treated as if received at the date and time of the original unreadable submission for timeliness purposes under FAR 15.208(a).
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Receive or oversee receipt handling, ensure proposals and RFI responses are date- and time-stamped, safeguard submissions from unauthorized disclosure, immediately notify offerors when electronic or fax portions are unreadable, consult with the offeror on resubmission terms, document the resubmission method and deadline in the file, and apply FAR 15.208 timeliness rules to any valid resubmission.
Designated Officials
Take custody of received proposals and RFI information after receipt and maintain controlled handling consistent with source selection confidentiality requirements.
Offeror
Submit proposals in the required location, format, and time; respond promptly if notified that a portion is unreadable; and resubmit the unreadable portion using the method and within the time prescribed by the contracting officer.
Agency
Maintain procedures and controls that protect proposals and RFI responses from unauthorized disclosure throughout the source selection process and ensure personnel understand disclosure restrictions under FAR 3.104 and related law.
Practical Implications
Receipt handling is not just clerical; the date and time stamp can determine whether a proposal is timely and eligible for award consideration.
Confidentiality failures can compromise the source selection process and create legal and protest risk, especially if proposal contents are disclosed to unauthorized personnel.
Electronic and fax submissions create a special risk of unreadable pages, so contracting officers should be ready to act quickly and document the cure process carefully.
Offerors should not assume an unreadable submission is automatically rejected; however, they must comply exactly with the contracting officer’s resubmission instructions to preserve timeliness.
Agencies should have clear internal controls for routing, storage, and access because both proposals and RFI responses require protection, even though the level of safeguarding language differs slightly.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Upon receipt at the location specified in the solicitation, proposals and information received in response to a request for information (RFI) shall be marked with the date and time of receipt and shall be transmitted to the designated officials. (b) Proposals shall be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure throughout the source selection process. (See 3.104 regarding the disclosure of source selection information ( 41 U.S.C. chapter 21 , Restrictions on Obtaining and Disclosing Certain Information). Information received in response to an RFI shall be safeguarded adequately from unauthorized disclosure. (c) If any portion of a proposal received by the contracting officer electronically or by facsimile is unreadable, the contracting officer immediately shall notify the offeror and permit the offeror to resubmit the unreadable portion of the proposal. The method and time for resubmission shall be prescribed by the contracting officer after consultation with the offeror, and documented in the file. The resubmission shall be considered as if it were received at the date and time of the original unreadable submission for the purpose of determining timeliness under 15.208 (a), provided the offeror complies with the time and format requirements for resubmission prescribed by the contracting officer.