FAR 15.606-2—Evaluation.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 15.606-2 explains how agencies must evaluate unsolicited proposals during a comprehensive review. It covers who coordinates the evaluation, how the proposal must be marked with the required legend before circulation, what evaluators must consider, and how recommendations are reported back to the agency point of contact. The section is designed to protect the integrity and confidentiality of unsolicited proposals while ensuring they are judged consistently and on their merits. In practice, it tells contracting personnel and technical reviewers to look beyond price alone and assess innovation, scientific or technical value, mission relevance, the offeror’s capability and key personnel, and whether the proposed cost is realistic. It also makes clear that the evaluation process is centralized through the agency contact point so the proposal is handled in an orderly and controlled way. For contractors, this means an unsolicited proposal will be reviewed against substantive criteria, not simply accepted because it is novel; for agencies, it means the review must be disciplined, documented, and routed through the proper point of contact.
Key Rules
Centralized evaluation control
Comprehensive evaluations must be coordinated by the agency contact point. This ensures the proposal is handled consistently, routed properly, and protected from unauthorized disclosure or fragmented review.
Required legend on circulation
Before an unsolicited proposal is circulated for evaluation, the agency contact point must attach or imprint the legend required by FAR 15.609(d). This helps preserve the proposal’s status and alerts evaluators to the special handling requirements.
Innovation and merit matter
Evaluators must consider whether the proposal presents unique, innovative, and meritorious methods, approaches, or concepts, along with its overall scientific, technical, or socioeconomic merits. The review is meant to identify substantive value, not just compliance with format.
Mission relevance required
The proposal must be assessed for its potential contribution to the agency’s specific mission. A strong idea still may not be suitable if it does not advance the agency’s actual needs or objectives.
Capability and personnel review
Evaluators must examine the offeror’s capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, and any unique combinations that are integral to achieving the proposal objectives, as well as the qualifications and experience of key personnel. This helps determine whether the proposer can realistically perform the work.
Cost realism review
The realism of the proposed cost must be evaluated. The agency is not required to accept a proposal simply because the price is low; it must determine whether the cost is believable and sufficient for the proposed effort.
Recommendations must be reported
When the evaluation is complete, evaluators must notify the agency point of contact of their recommendations. This closes the loop and allows the agency to decide the next step in the unsolicited proposal process.
Responsibilities
Agency Contact Point
Coordinate the comprehensive evaluation of the unsolicited proposal, attach or imprint the required FAR 15.609(d) legend before circulation, and receive the evaluators’ recommendations when the review is complete.
Evaluators
Review the unsolicited proposal against the required factors, including innovation, scientific/technical/socioeconomic merit, mission contribution, offeror capability, key personnel qualifications, and cost realism, and then provide recommendations to the agency point of contact.
Agency
Ensure the unsolicited proposal is handled through the proper contact point and that the evaluation process follows the required safeguards and criteria for comprehensive review.
Offeror
Submit a proposal that can be evaluated on its merits, including clear information on the concept, technical approach, capability, personnel, and cost so the agency can assess the proposal under the required factors.
Practical Implications
This section matters because unsolicited proposals are not evaluated like ordinary competitive offers; agencies must use a structured merit review focused on innovation, mission fit, and feasibility.
A common pitfall is failing to route the proposal through the agency contact point or forgetting to apply the required legend before sharing it with reviewers.
Another frequent issue is overemphasizing novelty while ignoring whether the offeror can actually perform the work or whether the proposed cost is realistic.
Contracting officers and technical evaluators should document their reasoning carefully, especially when a proposal is technically interesting but not aligned with the agency mission.
Offerors should make the proposal easy to evaluate by clearly tying the concept to agency needs, identifying key personnel, and supporting the proposed cost with credible detail.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Comprehensive evaluations shall be coordinated by the agency contact point, who shall attach or imprint on each unsolicited proposal, circulated for evaluation, the legend required by 15.609 (d). When performing a comprehensive evaluation of an unsolicited proposal, evaluators shall consider the following factors, in addition to any others appropriate for the particular proposal: (1) Unique, innovative, and meritorious methods, approaches, or concepts demonstrated by the proposal; (2) Overall scientific, technical, or socioeconomic merits of the proposal; (3) Potential contribution of the effort to the agency’s specific mission; (4) The offeror’s capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these that are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; (5) The qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader, or key personnel critical to achieving the proposal objectives; and (6) The realism of the proposed cost. (b) The evaluators shall notify the agency point of contact of their recommendations when the evaluation is completed.