FAR 52.211-1—Availability of Specifications Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.211-1 is a solicitation provision that tells offerors where to find the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards, and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and where to obtain the Federal specifications, standards, and product descriptions cited in the solicitation. It exists to make technical requirements accessible and to reduce confusion about where bidders and offerors can locate the controlling documents that define product characteristics, performance requirements, or other technical details. In practice, the provision points users to the ASSIST website as the official download source for the index and related documents, rather than requiring agencies to distribute paper copies or maintain separate local repositories. It also adds a special rule for solicitations issued by GSA, USDA, or VA, confirming that cited specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions may be obtained from ASSIST. This provision is mainly informational, but it is important because offerors need the cited documents to prepare compliant offers, and contracting personnel need to ensure the solicitation accurately identifies where those documents can be found. The provision supports consistency, transparency, and access to the technical standards incorporated into federal procurements.
Key Rules
ASSIST is the source
The GSA Index and copies of Federal specifications, standards, and product descriptions are available for download from the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil. The provision directs users to that centralized source instead of relying on agency-specific distribution methods.
Cited documents must be accessible
If the solicitation cites specifications, standards, or commercial item descriptions, offerors are told where to obtain them. This ensures the technical requirements incorporated into the solicitation are available to prospective offerors before they submit proposals or bids.
Special rule for certain agencies
When the solicitation is issued by GSA, USDA, or VA, the cited specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions may be obtained from ASSIST under paragraph (a). The provision reinforces that these agencies use the same access point for the referenced documents.
Provision is inserted when prescribed
FAR 11.204(a) requires insertion of this provision in appropriate solicitations. Contracting officers must include it when the prescription applies, because it is part of the solicitation’s technical-document access framework.
Informational, not substantive
The provision does not itself create the technical requirements in the solicitation; it identifies where those requirements are published. The actual obligations for the contractor come from the cited specifications, standards, and product descriptions, not from this provision alone.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Insert the provision when required by FAR 11.204(a) and ensure the solicitation correctly identifies the availability of cited specifications, standards, and product descriptions. The contracting officer should also make sure the solicitation references are accurate and that offerors are directed to the proper access point.
Offeror/Contractor
Use the ASSIST website to locate and review the cited specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions before preparing an offer. The offeror is responsible for understanding the technical requirements incorporated into the solicitation and pricing/compliance accordingly.
GSA, USDA, and VA as issuing agencies
When issuing solicitations that cite these documents, rely on ASSIST as the source identified in the provision. These agencies must ensure their solicitations align with the access method described in the provision.
DLA ASSIST system
Provide the public access point for the GSA Index and the referenced federal specifications, standards, and product descriptions. The system serves as the repository the provision directs users to for obtaining the documents.
Practical Implications
Offerors should check ASSIST early, because missing a cited specification can lead to a noncompliant proposal or a misunderstanding of the required product characteristics.
Contracting officers should verify that every cited document is actually available and that the citation is current; outdated or incorrect references can create solicitation defects or protest risk.
This provision reduces the need for agencies to distribute hard copies, but it does not eliminate the need to ensure the solicitation’s technical references are complete and accurate.
If a solicitation relies on a standard or product description that is hard to find or ambiguous, bidders may ask questions or seek clarification; failing to resolve that early can affect competition and pricing.
Because the provision is informational, parties should not treat it as the source of the technical requirement itself; the incorporated specification or standard controls the substantive requirement.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 11.204 (a) , insert the following provision: Availability of Specifications Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29 (Sep 2023) (a) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101–29, and copies of Federal specifications, standards, and product descriptions can be downloaded from the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil . (b) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained from the ASSIST website identified in paragraph (a) of this provision. (End of provision)