FAR 52.236-28—Preparation of Proposals-Construction.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.236-28, Preparation of Proposals-Construction, tells offerors how to prepare and submit construction proposals and gives contracting officers a basis for rejecting nonconforming offers. It covers four main topics: use of the Government-furnished proposal forms or exact copies, the requirement for a manual signature, the need to initial erasures or changes, and the types of pricing that may be requested on the form, including lump-sum prices, alternate prices, unit prices, or combinations of those methods. It also addresses how offerors must respond when a solicitation requires pricing on all items versus when pricing on only selected items is allowed, including the use of the words "no proposal" for items not priced. Finally, it states that alternate proposals are considered only if the solicitation expressly authorizes them. In practice, this provision is meant to keep construction bids standardized, comparable, and administratively clean, while reducing ambiguity, unauthorized alternates, and disputes over altered bid entries.
Key Rules
Use Government forms
Proposals must be submitted on the Government-furnished forms or exact copies of those forms. This requirement helps ensure that all bids are comparable and that the Government can evaluate them consistently.
Manual signature required
The proposal must be manually signed by the person authorized to bind the offeror. An electronic or stamped signature does not satisfy this provision unless another solicitation term or applicable rule specifically allows it.
Initial all changes
Any erasure or change on a proposal form must be initialed by the person signing the proposal. This reduces the risk of disputes about whether a correction was authorized or made after submission.
Pricing may use several bases
The form may require prices on a lump-sum basis, alternate prices, unit-of-construction pricing, or a combination of these methods. Offerors must follow the pricing structure stated in the solicitation exactly.
Price all required items
If the solicitation requires a proposal on all items, failure to price every item may cause rejection without further consideration. If all items are not required, offerors should enter "no proposal" for items they are not pricing.
Alternates need authorization
Alternate proposals will not be considered unless the solicitation specifically authorizes them. Offerors should not assume the Government will evaluate an alternate unless the solicitation clearly permits it.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Provide the proper proposal forms, clearly state whether all items must be priced, identify the acceptable pricing basis, and specify whether alternate proposals are authorized. The contracting officer may reject proposals that do not comply with these requirements.
Offeror / Contractor
Prepare the proposal on the required form or an exact copy, sign it manually, initial every erasure or change, price all required items, insert "no proposal" where appropriate, and submit alternates only when the solicitation allows them.
Agency / Government
Use standardized construction proposal formats that support fair comparison of bids and enforce the solicitation’s stated submission rules during evaluation.
Practical Implications
Construction bids are highly form-driven, so small mistakes can make a proposal nonresponsive or otherwise unacceptable. Offerors should review the solicitation line by line before submitting.
A missing manual signature or uninitialed correction can create serious compliance problems, especially if the Government treats the defect as material.
If the solicitation says all items must be priced, leaving one blank can be fatal. If pricing is optional for some items, using "no proposal" is the safer way to show intentional nonpricing.
Alternate bids are not automatically welcome in construction procurements. Contractors should only submit them when the solicitation expressly invites them, or they risk having them ignored.
Because this provision is designed to standardize bids, contractors should avoid informal edits, handwritten substitutions, or nonstandard attachments unless the solicitation specifically permits them.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 36.520 , insert the following provision: Preparation of Proposals-Construction (Oct 1997) (a) Proposals must be (1) submitted on the forms furnished by the Government or on copies of those forms; and (2) manually signed. The person signing a proposal must initial each erasure or change appearing on any proposal form. (b) The proposal form may require offerors to submit proposed prices for one or more items on various bases, including- (1) Lump sum price; (2) Alternate prices; (3) Units of construction; or (4) Any combination of paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this provision. (c) If the solicitation requires submission of a proposal on all items, failure to do so may result in the proposal being rejected without further consideration. If a proposal on all items is not required, offerors should insert the words "no proposal" in the space provided for any item on which no price is submitted. (d) Alternate proposals will not be considered unless this solicitation authorizes their submission. (End of provision)