FAR 52.211-4—Availability for Examination of Specifications Not Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.211-4 is a solicitation provision used when a solicitation refers to specifications, standards, or commercial item descriptions that are not listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions. Its purpose is to tell offerors where those documents can be examined before submitting a bid or proposal, so they can understand the technical requirements and price their offers accurately. The provision requires the contracting activity to identify the activity holding the documents, the complete address, a telephone number, a person to contact, and the times when the documents may be viewed. In practice, this provision supports transparency, competition, and fair notice by making sure offerors have a practical way to inspect the governing technical documents. It is a pre-award information provision only; it does not itself impose performance requirements, but it helps ensure that the requirements incorporated elsewhere in the solicitation are accessible and reviewable. The section also reflects the older paper-based system for locating non-indexed specifications, so agencies must still provide usable access information even if the documents are now available electronically or through another official source.
Key Rules
Use only when needed
This provision is prescribed for use when the solicitation cites specifications not listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions. If the referenced documents are already available through the index or another incorporated source, this provision may not be necessary.
Identify the holding activity
The solicitation must name the activity that has the specifications available for examination. This tells offerors exactly which office or organization maintains the documents.
Provide complete access details
The provision requires the complete address, a telephone number, a contact person, and the times for viewing. These details must be specific enough for an offeror to actually locate and inspect the documents.
Ensure pre-award access
The point of the provision is to give offerors a fair opportunity to examine the specifications before they submit offers. The government should not rely on vague references or inaccessible locations that prevent meaningful review.
Substantially the same language
The clause text is prescribed as a provision 'substantially the same as' the FAR language. Agencies may adapt formatting to fit the solicitation, but they should preserve the substance of the required notice.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Determine whether the solicitation cites specifications not listed in the GSA Index and, if so, include this provision in the solicitation. Ensure the activity, address, phone number, contact person, and viewing times are accurate and usable.
Agency/Activity Holding the Specifications
Maintain the referenced specifications and make them available for examination at the stated location and times. Provide current contact information and support access for interested offerors.
Offeror/Contractor
Use the information provided to inspect the specifications before submitting an offer. Raise questions promptly if the access information is incomplete, inaccurate, or does not allow reasonable review.
Practical Implications
This provision helps prevent disputes over whether offerors had a fair chance to review the technical documents before bidding.
A common pitfall is listing outdated contact information or office hours, which can undermine access and create protest risk.
Contracting officers should verify that the referenced documents are actually available at the stated location, especially if the solicitation is issued electronically.
If the solicitation relies on non-indexed specifications, failure to provide clear viewing instructions can lead to misunderstandings about the requirement and pricing errors.
Because the clause is about examination rather than incorporation by itself, users should still check the solicitation’s other sections to see how the specifications are incorporated into the contract requirements.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 11.204 (d) , insert a provision substantially the same as the following: Availability for Examination of Specifications Not Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions (June 1988) (Activity) _________________________________________ (Complete Address) ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ (Telephone number) _________________________________ (Person to be contacted) ______________________________ (Time(s) for viewing) ________________________________ (End of clause)