FAR 45.201—Solicitation.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 45.201 tells contracting officers how to address Government property in solicitations and what information must be collected from offerors when Government-furnished property or other Government property will be used. It covers four main topics: the required listing of Government property to be offered, the need to tell offerors who pays to make property usable in a competitive acquisition, the solicitation’s evaluation procedures and required offeror submissions when Government property will be used on a rent-free basis, and the need to place any extra property-management instructions in the statement of work or a special provision rather than leaving them implied. In practice, this section is about transparency and competition: offerors need enough detail to price their proposals correctly, understand the condition and identity of Government property, and disclose how they will manage and use it. It also helps the Government evaluate proposals consistently by accounting for rental charges, equivalent costs or savings, and the adequacy of the offeror’s property management approach. For contracting officers, this section is a drafting checklist that reduces disputes over property availability, condition, cost responsibility, and evaluation methodology. For contractors, it is a notice that Government property use is not free of administrative burden and that proposal submissions must be specific and supportable.
Key Rules
List offered property in solicitations
When Government-furnished property is anticipated, the contracting officer must include a listing of the Government property to be offered in the solicitation. The list must contain, at a minimum, the item identity, quantity, acquisition cost, and condition information needed for offerors to understand what is being provided.
Include detailed item identification
The property listing must identify each item by name, part number and description, manufacturer, model number, and National Stock Number when needed for tracking, management, or disposition. If available and necessary, a unique-item identifier or equivalent must also be included so individual items can be tracked accurately.
State condition and inspection terms
The solicitation must say whether the property will be furnished 'as-is' and must provide instructions for physical inspection. This ensures offerors know whether they are accepting the property in its current condition and can inspect it before pricing or committing to use it.
Assign property-availability costs to offerors
When Government property is offered for use in a competitive acquisition, the solicitation should make clear that the contractor is responsible for costs needed to make the property available, such as transportation, installation, or rehabilitation. This prevents offerors from assuming the Government will absorb those costs unless the solicitation says otherwise.
Explain evaluation of property use
The solicitation must describe how the Government will evaluate the use of Government property, including rental charges or equivalents and any other costs or savings that will be considered. This is necessary so offerors understand how property use affects price evaluation and can prepare responsive proposals.
Require disclosure of rent-free use
Offerors must submit a list or description of all Government property they or their subcontractors propose to use on a rent-free basis, including the accountable contract and the authorization from the cognizant contracting officer. They must also provide the dates of availability, any concurrent-use details needed to prorate rent, and the amount of rent that would otherwise apply under FAR 52.245-9.
Require property management information
Offerors must describe their property management system, plan, and any customary commercial practices, voluntary consensus standards, or industry-leading practices and standards they will use to manage Government property. This gives the Government a basis to assess whether the offeror can properly control, account for, and protect the property.
Put extra instructions in the contract documents
Any property-management, accountability, or use instructions not already covered by FAR 52.245-1 must be stated specifically in the statement of work or in a special provision. The rule prevents important property requirements from being left vague or implied.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Insert a complete listing of Government property to be offered whenever Government-furnished property is anticipated; ensure the solicitation identifies item details, quantity, acquisition cost, identifiers, and condition/inspection instructions; state who bears costs to make property usable in competitive acquisitions; describe evaluation procedures and required proposal submissions; and place any additional property instructions in the statement of work or a special provision.
Offerors/Contractors
Review the property listing, account for condition and inspection information, and price proposals accordingly; disclose any Government property proposed for rent-free use by the offeror or subcontractors; identify the accountable contract and authorization for use; provide dates and concurrent-use details; state the rent that would otherwise be charged; and describe the property management system, plan, and applicable practices or standards.
Subcontractors
If they propose to use Government property on a rent-free basis, their use must be identified through the offeror’s submission, including the property description and supporting authorization information.
Cognizant Contracting Officer for the Property
Authorize the use of Government property held under another accountable contract when it is proposed for rent-free use, and provide the authorization information that the offeror must submit with its offer.
Agency/Acquisition Team
Support accurate property identification, evaluation methodology, and solicitation drafting so the solicitation reflects the actual property available, the costs associated with its use, and any special management requirements.
Practical Implications
This section is a solicitation-drafting control point: if the property list is incomplete or vague, offerors may misprice proposals or later dispute what was available and in what condition.
The Government should not assume offerors know who pays for transportation, installation, or rehabilitation; if the solicitation does not clearly assign those costs, evaluation and performance problems can follow.
The rent-free use disclosure requirement is easy to miss, but it matters because the Government needs enough detail to determine whether the use is authorized and whether rent must be prorated or charged.
Contracting officers should not bury special property rules in informal communications; if the requirement is not already covered by FAR 52.245-1, it belongs in the SOW or a special provision.
Contractors should treat the property management description as a real compliance submission, not boilerplate, because it can affect evaluation and later accountability for Government property use.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) The contracting officer shall insert a listing of the Government property to be offered in all solicitations where Government-furnished property is anticipated (see 45.102 ). The listing shall include at a minimum- (1) The name, part number and description, manufacturer, model number, and National Stock Number (if needed for additional item identification tracking and management, and disposition); (2) Quantity/unit of measure; (3) Unit acquisition cost; (4) Unique-item identifier or equivalent (if available and necessary for individual item tracking and management); and (5) A statement as to whether the property is to be furnished in an "as-is" condition and instructions for physical inspection. (b) When Government property is offered for use in a competitive acquisition, solicitations should specify that the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation or rehabilitation costs. (c) The solicitation shall describe the evaluation procedures to be followed, including rental charges or equivalents and other costs or savings to be evaluated, and shall require all offerors to submit the following information with their offers- (1) A list or description of all Government property that the offeror or its subcontractors propose to use on a rent-free basis. The list shall identify the accountable contract under which the property is held and the authorization for its use (from the contracting officer having cognizance of the property); (2) The dates during which the property will be available for use (including the first, last, and all intervening months) and, for any property that will be used concurrently in performing two or more contracts, the amounts of the respective uses in sufficient detail to support prorating the rent; (3) The amount of rent that would otherwise be charged in accordance with FAR 52.245-9 , Use and Charges; and (4) A description of the offeror's property management system, plan, and any customary commercial practices, voluntary consensus standards, or industry-leading practices and standards to be used by the offeror in managing Government property. (d) Any additional instructions to the contractor regarding property management, accountability, and use, not addressed in FAR clause 52.245-1 , Government Property, should be specifically addressed in the statement of work on the contract providing property or in a special provision.