FAR 7.203—Solicitation provision.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 7.203 tells contracting officers when they must include the solicitation provision at 52.207-4, Economic Purchase Quantity-Supplies, in solicitations for supplies. The section is about collecting information that helps the Government determine whether buying in larger quantities would be more economical, which supports better pricing and more efficient purchasing decisions. It also identifies when the provision is not required, including solicitations under the General Services Administration’s multiple award schedule contract program and situations where the contracting officer determines the Government already has the needed data, the data is otherwise readily available, or it is impracticable for the Government to vary its future requirements. In practice, this means the contracting officer must think about whether the Government needs the contractor’s input on economic purchase quantities before issuing a supply solicitation, and must document or be able to support any decision not to include the provision. For contractors, the provision can affect how they propose quantities, pricing, and discounts, because it asks them to consider whether larger purchase quantities would be more economical for the Government. The section is narrow, but it matters because it helps the Government avoid buying too little at a higher unit price when a larger order would be more efficient.
Key Rules
Insert the provision in supply solicitations
Contracting officers must include 52.207-4, Economic Purchase Quantity-Supplies, in solicitations for supplies. This is the default rule whenever the procurement is for supplies and the exception does not apply.
No provision for GSA schedule buys
The provision need not be inserted when the solicitation is for a contract under the General Services Administration’s multiple award schedule contract program. In that setting, the schedule structure already addresses pricing and ordering considerations differently.
Omit if Government already has data
The contracting officer may leave out the provision if the Government already has the relevant data. This exception applies when the information needed to assess economic purchase quantities is already available from prior sources or records.
Omit if data is readily available
The provision is not required if the data is otherwise readily available. This covers situations where the Government can easily obtain the needed information without asking the offeror through the solicitation provision.
Omit if requirements cannot vary
The contracting officer may omit the provision if it is impracticable for the Government to vary its future requirements. If future demand is too uncertain or cannot be adjusted in a meaningful way, the economic purchase quantity information is less useful.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Determine whether the solicitation is for supplies and, if so, insert 52.207-4 unless an exception applies. The contracting officer must assess whether the GSA schedule exception applies or whether the Government already has the data, can readily obtain it, or cannot practically vary future requirements.
Government/Agency
Maintain or make available the data needed to evaluate economic purchase quantities when possible, so the contracting officer can rely on existing information instead of requiring the provision in every case.
Contractor/Offeror
Respond to the solicitation as issued and, when the provision is included, provide the information needed for the Government to evaluate whether larger purchase quantities would be more economical.
Practical Implications
This rule is mainly a solicitation-preparation check: if you are buying supplies, you should ask whether 52.207-4 belongs in the solicitation before release.
A common pitfall is treating the provision as optional by default; it is actually required unless a specific exception applies.
Contracting officers should be prepared to explain why the provision was omitted, especially under the exceptions for existing data, readily available data, or impracticability of varying future requirements.
For contractors, the provision can influence pricing strategy because it signals that the Government is considering quantity economics, not just unit price.
If the acquisition is under the GSA multiple award schedule program, do not assume the provision is needed; the rule expressly says it need not be inserted in that context.
Official Regulatory Text
Contracting officers shall insert the provision at 52.207-4 , Economic Purchase Quantity-Supplies, in solicitations for supplies. The provision need not be inserted if the solicitation is for a contract under the General Services Administration’s multiple award schedule contract program, or if the contracting officer determines that- (a) The Government already has the data; (b) The data is otherwise readily available; or (c) It is impracticable for the Government to vary its future requirements.