FAR 35.016—Broad agency announcement.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 35.016 explains when and how agencies may use a broad agency announcement (BAA) with peer or scientific review to acquire basic and applied research, and development work that is not tied to a specific system or hardware procurement. It is designed for situations where the Government is seeking scientific study, experimentation, and advancement of knowledge, rather than a defined product or solution, and where meaningful proposals with different technical approaches are reasonably expected. The section tells agencies what the BAA must contain, including the agency’s research interests, evaluation criteria and their relative importance, the proposal acceptance period, and proposal preparation/submission instructions. It also requires public notice through the Governmentwide point of entry and, when authorized, in scientific or technical periodicals, with at least annual publication. The rule further explains that proposals must be reviewed under the stated criteria through a peer or scientific review process, that proposals do not have to be compared against one another, and that selection is driven primarily by technical merit, relevance to agency programs, and available funding, with cost realism and reasonableness considered as appropriate. Finally, it clarifies that separate synopses for individual contract actions arising from BAA proposals are not required because the BAA notice itself satisfies the synopsis requirement.
Key Rules
Use only for research
BAAs are limited to basic and applied research and development that is not directed toward a specific system or hardware procurement. Agencies should use this method when the goal is advancing knowledge or the state of the art, not buying a predefined solution.
Meaningful alternatives required
The BAA technique may be used only when the agency can reasonably expect meaningful proposals with varying technical or scientific approaches. If the requirement is too narrow or prescriptive, a BAA is not the right vehicle.
BAA must state key information
The announcement and supporting documents must describe the agency’s research interests, the evaluation criteria and their relative importance, the proposal acceptance period, and instructions for preparing and submitting proposals. These elements give offerors a fair basis for preparing responsive submissions.
Publicize through GPE
The BAA must be posted in the Governmentwide point of entry, and may also be published in scientific, technical, or engineering periodicals if authorized under FAR subpart 5.5. The notice must be published at least annually.
Peer review evaluation
Proposals must be evaluated under the stated criteria through a peer or scientific review process. Written evaluation reports are required for individual proposals, but proposals do not need to be ranked against each other because they are not submitted against a common work statement.
Selection based on merit and need
The primary selection factors are technical merit, importance to agency programs, and availability of funds. Cost realism and reasonableness must also be considered to the extent appropriate, but they are secondary to the technical and programmatic value of the proposal.
No separate synopsis needed
Individual contract actions resulting from BAA proposals do not require a separate synopsis under FAR subpart 5.2. The public BAA notice fulfills the synopsis requirement for those actions.
Responsibilities
Agency
Use the BAA only for appropriate research and development needs, ensure the announcement is sufficiently broad to invite varied approaches, publicize the BAA properly, and maintain at least annual publication of the notice.
Contracting Officer
Prepare or oversee a BAA that includes all required content, ensure compliance with publication and synopsis rules, and support award decisions based on the stated evaluation criteria and available funding.
Technical/Scientific Review Panel
Evaluate proposals through peer or scientific review using the criteria in the BAA, prepare written evaluation reports for each proposal, and assess technical merit and relevance without requiring direct comparison to all other proposals.
Offeror/Contractor
Submit proposals within the stated acceptance period and in the format and manner required by the BAA, addressing the agency’s research interests and evaluation criteria.
Practical Implications
BAAs are best for exploratory research, not for buying a known product or tightly defined development effort. If the requirement is specific enough that only one approach makes sense, another acquisition method is usually more appropriate.
The quality of the BAA matters a lot: vague research interests or unclear evaluation criteria can lead to weak proposals, inconsistent reviews, or protest risk. Agencies should be precise enough to guide offerors without overconstraining innovation.
Because proposals are not compared against a common work statement, reviewers must focus on technical merit and program relevance rather than treating the BAA like a normal competitive solicitation. This is a common source of confusion for both evaluators and offerors.
The annual publication requirement means agencies cannot let a BAA sit stale. They need a process to refresh or republish the notice so the announcement remains current and publicly accessible.
Cost still matters, but it is not the lead factor. Contractors should not assume the lowest-cost proposal will win if the technical approach is weaker, and contracting officers should document how cost realism and reasonableness were considered when relevant.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) General. This paragraph prescribes procedures for the use of the broad agency announcement (BAA) with Peer or Scientific Review (see 6.102 (d)(2)) for the acquisition of basic and applied research and that part of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. BAA’s may be used by agencies to fulfill their requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution. The BAA technique shall only be used when meaningful proposals with varying technical/scientific approaches can be reasonably anticipated. (b) The BAA, together with any supporting documents, shall- (1) Describe the agency’s research interest, either for an individual program requirement or for broadly defined areas of interest covering the full range of the agency’s requirements; (2) Describe the criteria for selecting the proposals, their relative importance, and the method of evaluation; (3) Specify the period of time during which proposals submitted in response to the BAA will be accepted; and (4) Contain instructions for the preparation and submission of proposals. (c) The availability of the BAA must be publicized through the Governmentwide point of entry (GPE) and, if authorized pursuant to subpart 5.5 , may also be published in noted scientific, technical, or engineering periodicals. The notice must be published no less frequently than annually. (d) Proposals received as a result of the BAA shall be evaluated in accordance with evaluation criteria specified therein through a peer or scientific review process. Written evaluation reports on individual proposals will be necessary but proposals need not be evaluated against each other since they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement. (e) The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and fund availability. Cost realism and reasonableness shall also be considered to the extent appropriate. (f) Synopsis under subpart 5.2 , Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions, of individual contract actions based upon proposals received under the BAA is not required. The notice published pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section fulfills the synopsis requirement.