FAR 4.1007—Solicitation alternative line item proposal.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 4.1007 addresses how solicitations should be written when the government wants to preserve flexibility for offerors to propose alternative line items. The section points readers to the related procedures in FAR 4.1008 and the commercial-item solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(e), showing that this is part of a broader line-item and pricing structure used in federal acquisitions. Its practical focus is on situations where the government uses units of measure such as kit, set, or lot, but the contractor may not be able to assemble and deliver everything in one shipment. In those cases, the solicitation should be structured so offerors can propose alternative line items that better reflect how the work or supplies will actually be delivered and priced. The purpose is to improve competition, reduce pricing confusion, and avoid forcing offerors into unrealistic line-item structures that could distort offers or create performance problems after award. In practice, this section helps contracting officers draft solicitations that match the realities of supply, packaging, and delivery while still supporting clear evaluation and administration.
Key Rules
Allow alternative line items
Solicitations should be written to permit offerors to propose alternative line items. This gives vendors flexibility to present pricing and delivery structures that fit the actual way the items can be provided.
Use related guidance
This section must be read together with FAR 4.1008 and FAR 52.212-1(e). Those authorities provide the mechanics and solicitation language for handling alternative line items in practice.
Match line items to delivery reality
When items are solicited as kits, sets, lots, or similar grouped units, the government should recognize that the offeror may not be able to ship all components in one delivery. The solicitation structure should account for that possibility.
Avoid unrealistic grouping
The government should not force a single line-item structure that assumes all components can be grouped and delivered together if that is not operationally feasible. Alternative line items help prevent pricing and performance mismatches.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Structure the solicitation to allow alternative line items when appropriate, especially for grouped items such as kits, sets, or lots. Ensure the solicitation aligns with the related FAR provisions and reflects realistic delivery and pricing possibilities.
Offeror
May propose alternative line items when the solicitation permits it, particularly where the standard grouping does not match how the items can actually be supplied or shipped.
Agency
Support solicitation structures that promote clear competition and practical performance, and ensure acquisition planning accounts for the need to permit alternative line items where appropriate.
Practical Implications
This section matters most when buying bundled or grouped supplies, because a rigid line-item structure can make pricing or delivery impractical.
A common pitfall is treating a kit, set, or lot as if it must always be delivered as one physical shipment, even when the market cannot do that.
Contracting officers should make sure the solicitation language clearly tells offerors whether alternative line items are allowed and how they will be evaluated.
If the solicitation is not structured properly, offerors may submit noncomparable pricing or be forced to build in unnecessary risk, which can reduce competition or increase cost.
For contractors, this provision is an opportunity to propose a more workable pricing/delivery approach, but only if the solicitation is drafted to permit it.
Official Regulatory Text
Solicitations should be structured to allow offerors to propose alternative line items (see 4.1008 and 52.212-1 (e)). For example, when soliciting certain items using units of measure such as kit, set, or lot, the offeror may not be able to group and deliver all items in a single shipment.