FAR 52.247-49—Destination Unknown.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.247-49, Destination Unknown, is a solicitation provision used when the Government does not yet know the final shipping destination(s) for supplies, but needs a placeholder destination for bid or proposal evaluation. The provision is prescribed by FAR 47.305-5(b)(2) and is inserted only in solicitations where destinations are tentative and the stated destination is used solely to compare offers. Its purpose is to create a fair, common basis for evaluating transportation or delivery-related pricing when the actual destination may change after award. In practice, it tells offerors that the listed destination is not a binding delivery point for performance, contract administration, or shipment planning unless another contract term says otherwise. The clause is narrow: it addresses evaluation methodology, not shipment rights, delivery obligations, or post-award routing instructions. Contractors and contracting officers should treat the listed destination as an evaluation assumption only, and should not rely on it as the final contractual destination unless the contract later confirms it.
Key Rules
Use only for evaluation
The provision may be used only when the Government needs a tentative destination to evaluate offers. It is not a general delivery clause and does not establish the actual place of performance or shipment.
Destination is tentative
The solicitation must identify the final destination(s) to be used for evaluation, but those destinations are considered tentative. The Government may later direct shipment to a different location if the contract or subsequent instructions allow it.
No other purpose
The clause expressly limits the listed destination to evaluation purposes only. Offerors should not treat the stated destination as controlling for pricing, logistics planning, or contract interpretation beyond the evaluation context.
Insert prescribed information
The solicitation must include the destination(s) in the blank provided. This ensures all offerors are evaluated against the same assumed routing or delivery point(s).
Applies to solicitations, not performance terms
This is a solicitation provision, meaning it governs how offers are evaluated before award. It does not by itself create post-award delivery obligations or modify the contract’s shipment terms.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Determine whether destinations are tentative and whether this provision is appropriate under FAR 47.305-5(b)(2). Insert the assumed destination(s) in the solicitation and use them only as the basis for evaluating offers.
Offeror/Contractor
Prepare pricing and transportation assumptions using the stated destination(s) for evaluation purposes only. Do not assume the listed destination is the final contractual delivery point unless the awarded contract says so.
Agency/Requirement Owner
Provide the best available tentative destination information for evaluation and update the contracting officer if the actual destination becomes known or changes before award.
Practical Implications
This provision helps the Government compare offers on a common basis when the real destination is not yet fixed, especially where freight or delivery costs affect price.
A common pitfall is treating the tentative destination as if it were a binding delivery point; that can lead to pricing errors, logistics misunderstandings, or disputes after award.
Contracting officers should make sure the solicitation clearly states that the destination is for evaluation only, because ambiguity can affect competition and price realism.
Offerors should verify whether freight is included, separately priced, or otherwise affected by the assumed destination so they do not underprice or overprice the offer.
If the actual destination changes after award, the contract terms—not this provision alone—control whether and how delivery instructions may be revised.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 47.305-5 (b)(2) , insert the following provision in solicitations when destinations are tentative and only for the purpose of evaluating offers: Destination Unknown (Apr 1984) For the purpose of evaluating offers and for no other purpose, the final destination(s) for the supplies will be considered to be as follows: __________________________ (End of clause)