FAR 5.405—Exchange of acquisition information.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 5.405 addresses the exchange of acquisition information when multiple agencies or multiple contracting activities are buying the same or similar items. It explains why sharing pertinent information—especially cost and pricing data—is important for consistent treatment of major issues and for resolving difficult or controversial questions during acquisition planning, presolicitation, evaluation, and pre-award survey stages. The section also covers when a contracting activity should actively request information from other agencies about similar acquisitions, including information on both the end item and major subcontracted components. In addition, it requires agencies or contracting activities that receive such a request to provide the information. Finally, it directs contracting officers, early in negotiations or during subcontract review, to ask contractors for information about the contractor’s or subcontractor’s prior Government contracts and subcontracts for the same or similar end items and major subcontractor components. In practice, this section is about using government-wide and agency-wide experience to improve pricing, consistency, and decision-making, while reducing the risk of isolated or uninformed acquisition decisions.
Key Rules
Share information across buyers
When the same item or class of items is being bought by more than one agency or contracting activity, pertinent information should be exchanged and coordinated. The goal is to promote uniform treatment of major issues and help resolve difficult or controversial matters.
Cost and pricing data matter
The section specifically highlights cost and pricing data as especially important information to exchange. That data can help contracting personnel compare approaches, identify pricing trends, and support more informed negotiations and evaluations.
Use key planning stages
Information exchange is particularly useful during acquisition planning, presolicitation, evaluation, and pre-award survey. These are the stages where early visibility into similar procurements can shape requirements, pricing strategy, and risk assessment.
Request data for major buys
For substantial acquisitions of major items, or whenever the contracting activity considers it desirable, the contracting activity must request relevant information from other agencies or contracting activities buying similar items. The request should cover both the end item and major subcontracted components.
Respond to requests with information
Any agency or contracting activity that receives a proper request must furnish the requested information. This creates a reciprocal sharing obligation so that useful acquisition knowledge is not withheld when another buyer needs it.
Ask contractors about prior work
Early in contract negotiations, or when reviewing a subcontract, the contracting officer shall ask the contractor for information about the contractor’s or subcontractor’s previous Government contracts and subcontracts for the same or similar end items and major subcontractor components.
Responsibilities
Contracting Activity
Coordinate and exchange pertinent acquisition information with other agencies or contracting activities when the same or similar items are being acquired. For substantial acquisitions of major items, or when otherwise desirable, request relevant information from other buyers about the end item and major subcontracted components.
Receiving Agency or Contracting Activity
Provide the information requested by another agency or contracting activity. The duty is to furnish the requested acquisition information when a proper request is made.
Contracting Officer
Early in negotiations, or during subcontract review, request information from the contractor about prior Government contracts and subcontracts for the same or similar end items and major subcontractor components. Use that information to inform pricing, evaluation, and review decisions.
Contractor
Provide information requested by the contracting officer about the contractor’s or subcontractor’s previous Government contracts and subcontracts for the same or similar end items and major subcontractor components.
Agency
Support information sharing across contracting activities and use shared acquisition information to improve consistency, resolve difficult issues, and strengthen acquisition planning and source selection decisions.
Practical Implications
This section helps prevent each contracting office from reinventing the wheel when buying the same or similar items. Shared information can improve pricing realism, technical understanding, and consistency across procurements.
The biggest practical risk is failing to ask early enough. If information is not gathered during planning or presolicitation, the team may miss useful pricing history or lessons learned before key decisions are locked in.
Contracting officers should be specific about what they need: end item data, major subcontractor component data, prior contracts, and subcontracts. Vague requests can produce incomplete information and reduce the value of the exchange.
Contractors should expect to disclose prior Government contract and subcontract experience for similar items when asked. They should maintain organized records so they can respond quickly and accurately.
This rule is especially important for major or complex buys, where small differences in assumptions or pricing history can materially affect negotiations, subcontract review, and award decisions.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) When the same item or class of items is being acquired by more than one agency, or by more than one contracting activity within an agency, the exchange and coordination of pertinent information, particularly cost and pricing data, between these agencies or contracting activities is necessary to promote uniformity of treatment of major issues and the resolution of particularly difficult or controversial issues. The exchange and coordination of information is particularly beneficial during the period of acquisition planning, presolicitation, evaluation, and pre-award survey. (b) When substantial acquisitions of major items are involved or when the contracting activity deems it desirable, the contracting activity shall request appropriate information (on both the end item and on major subcontracted components) from other agencies or contracting activities responsible for acquiring similar items. Each agency or contracting activity receiving such a request shall furnish the information requested. The contracting officer, early in a negotiation of a contract, or in connection with the review of a subcontract, shall request the contractor to furnish information as to the contractor’s or subcontractor’s previous Government contracts and subcontracts for the same or similar end items and major subcontractor components.