Subpart 18-1.10-Publicizing
Procurement Actions

§ 18-1.1001 General policy.

It is NASA policy to increase competition by publicizing procurements which offer competitive opportunities for prospective prime contractors or subcontractors, thus assisting small business and labor surplus area concerns and broadening industry participation in NASA procurement programs.

§ 18-1.1002 Availability of invitations for bids and requests for proposals. A reasonable number of copies of invitations for bids and requests for proposals publicized in the Department of Commerce Synopsis, including specifications and other pertinent information, shall be maintained by the issuing office. If the invitations for bids or requests for proposals reveal no classified information (and, accordingly, bear no classified markings), they shall, if available, be provided at the procurement office to manufacturers, construction contractors, and regular dealers and to others having a legitimate interest therein, such as publishers, trade associations, procurement information services, and others who disseminate information concerning invitations for bids and requests for proposals; otherwise the procurement office may limit the availability of invitations for bids and requests for proposals to perusal at such office. § 18-1.1003

curements.

Synopses of proposed pro

§ 18-1.1003-1 General. Every proposed advertised or negotiated procurement made in the United States, which may result in an award in excess of $10,000, will be publicized promptly in the Department of Commerce publication, Commerce Business Daily, Synopsis of U.S. Government Proposed Procurement, Sales and Contract Awards except that the following need not be publicized in the Synopsis:

(a) Procurement of a classified nature where the information necessary to be included or referenced in the solicitation (invitation for bids or request for proposals) is in itself of a classified nature and the public disclosure of this information would violate security requirements; all other classified procurements shall be

published in the Synopsis if sufficient unclassified information can be provided in or with the solicitation to enable a prospective contractor to submit a bid or proposal without access to classified information;

(b) Procurement of perishable subsistence;

(c) Procurement of electric power or energy, gas (natural or manufactured), water or other utility services;

(d) Procurement (whether advertised or negotiated) which is of such urgency that the Government would be adversely affected by the delay involved in permitting the date set for receipt of bids, proposals, or quotations to be more than 15 calendar days from the date of transmittal of the synopsis or the date of issuance of the solicitation, whichever is earlier;

(e) Procurement to be made by an order placed under an existing contract;

(f) Procurement to be made from or through another Government department or agency, or a mandatory source of supply such as an agency for the blind under the blind-made products program;

(g) Procurement of personal or professional services to be negotiated under § 18-3.204 of this chapter;

(h) Procurement from educational institutions to be negotiated under § 183.205 of this chapter; and

(i) Procurement in which only foreign sources are to be solicited.

§ 18-1.1003-3 Synopses of subcontract opportunities.

(a) Research and development procurements. Within the security limitations of 18-1.1003-1(a), all proposed NASA research and development procurements made in the United States which may result in an award of $100,000 or more, except proposed study contracts or proposed contracts with educational or nonprofit institutions, shall be publicized in the Commerce Business Daily. The information shall be sent by teletype directly to Synopsis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Administrative Service Office, Chicago, Illinois, simultaneously with the mailing of the requests for proposals. The procurement will be publicized by the Department of Commerce under the heading "Research and Development Proposals" (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). In addition to the information normally included in a

synopsis, the names and addresses of all firms which have been invited by NASA to submit proposals shall be furnished to the Department of Commerce. This procedure will offer opportunity to small business concerns and others interested in subcontracting in current research and development procurements to contact prospective prime contractors directly during the early stages of procurement. A copy of each synopsis sent to the Department of Commerce shall be furnished to the Office of Procurement (Code KD-2) and to the Office of Public Information, NASA Headquarters (Attn: News Division).

(b) Technical proposals received under two-step formal advertising. Contracting officers shall, unless not in the Government's interest or subcontracting opportunities do not exist, publish in the Commerce Business Daily the names and addresses of firms which have submitted acceptable technical proposals in the first step of two-step formal advertising and will therefore be issued invitations for bids in the second step (see § 18-2.503 of this chapter). Such lists should be followed by a statement substantially as follows:

It is suggested that small business firms or others interested in subcontracting opportunities in connection with this procurement make direct contact with the above firms.

(c) Prime contractors and subcontractors. Prime contractors and subcontractors should be encouraged to use the Department of Commerce Synopsis to publicize opportunities in the field of subcontracting stemming from their Government business, if this can be done without disclosing classified information. Prime contractors and their subcontractors will be advised to mail subcontract information directly to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Admininstrative Service Office, Room 1300, 433 W. Van Buren St., Chicago 7, Illinois, under the heading "Subcontracting Leads (Subcontracting Assistance Wanted)," and in the form of the following example:

XYZ Co., Attn John Z. Smith, Tel. No. RAndolph 6-1111, 102 First Ave., Chicago 7, Ill., seeks Subcontractor on items to be used in connection with Contract No. awarded

(Date)

Coils, Induction, Dwg.

§ 18-1.1003-4 Responsibility of small business specialists.

Small business specialists in each procurement office are responsible for screening all proposed procurements and for recommending action to be taken with respect to publicizing such procurements in accordance with the requirements of § 18-1.1003. In those offices where no small business specialist is assigned, the contracting officer or other designated representative shall accomplish the foregoing.

§ 18-1.1003-5 Publication of procurements of less than $10,000.

When recommended by procurement personnel or the small business specialist, and approved by the contracting officer, proposed procurements of less than $10,000 may be publicized in the Commerce Business Daily.

§ 18-1.1003-6 Pre-invitation notices.

Where pre-invitation notices (see § 182.205-4(c)) of this chapter are used, the pre-invitation information shall be included in the synopsis. This information need not be republished in the synopsis when the invitation for bids is issued.

§ 18-1.1003-7

Information regarding specifications, plans, and drawings.

(a) Where distribution of applicable specifications, plans, or drawings with the solicitation is impracticable, the synopsis shall contain notice of this fact and of the locations at which the specifications, plans, or drawings may be examined or obtained (see § 18-1.1003-9 (c) and (d)).

(b) Where the specifications, plans, and drawings available do not fully provide manufacturing or construction details necessary to describe a requireIment, the synopsis will contain notice of this fact (see § 18-1.1003-9 (c) and (d)).

§ 18-1.1003-8 Time of publicizing.

To allow concerns which are not on current bidders lists ample time to pre

pare bids, proposals, or quotations, procurement offices should, when feasible, synopsize proposed procurements at least 10 days before issuance of invitations for bids and requests for proposals. Prompt reporting is particularly important where a short time for submitting bids or proposals is involved. § 18-1.1003-9 mittal.

Preparation and trans

(a) Each procurement office shall transmit a synopsis of proposed procurements as follows:

(1) When teletypewriter service is available, all synopses shall be forwarded daily as soon as practical via teletypewriter to the following address: Synopsis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Administrative Service Office, Chicago, Illinois.

(2) When teletypewriter service is not available, synopses normally shall be sent by airmail or ordinary mail, whichever is considered more expenditious, addressed as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce (Synopsis), Administrative Service Office, Room 1300, 433 West Van Buren, Street, Chicago, Ill., 60607. This address should be used also when commercial telegraph facilities are used. (b) Each synopsis message shall be prepared as described below:

(1) Spacing-Except as provided in § 18-1.1003-9(b) (4), lines of the text will begin flush with the left margin and will not exceed 69 typewritten spaces in length. Double-spaced lines will be used in the text. Each procurement shall be described in a separate paragraph.

(2) Message number-The first line of the message text will state the "transmittal number" of the message being sent. Synopses will be numbered 'consecutively by the reporting activity during the calendar year, using a new series of numbers beginning with number one for the first message of each calendar year.

(3) Contracting office and addressThe name and address of the contracting office will begin on the second line of the message text and continue straight across the page and on the subsequent line or lines if necessary. No abbreviations are to be used except for the name of the State. The address may include

an attention phrase directed to an official by name, title, or reference code.

(4) Description of procurements-The appropriate classification code (see §181.1005 and subparagraph (5) of this paragraph) for each proposed procurement of supplies and services shall begin 5 spaces from the left margin followed by two hyphens and the description of the procurement. As used in this Subpart the term "supplies" includes materials and equipment. The description shall be in narrative form, double spaced, with each succeeding line commencing flush with the left margin. The description shall be clear, concise, and in such detail that it will be understood by interested parties. Descriptions shall include, as appropriate, commonly used names of supply items, basic materials from which fabricated, general size or dimensions, citations of specification and drawing numbers, quantities, units of measure, invitation for bid or request for proposal numbers, opening dates, places of delivery, and other pertinent data. Where a term or indefinite quantity contract is involved, the description should so indicate and, where applicable, include a statement as to the duration of the contract period. If an item is covered by one or more specifications requiring qualification testing and approval, and such requirement has not been waived, the notation "QPL" shall be inserted immediately following the specification number. Federal stock numbers should be included where one has been assigned. Only standard, commonly understood abbreviations may be used. For purposes of clarity, two hyphens should be used instead of punctuation marks to separate quantities, purchase reference numbers, opening dates, and other elements of the description. Copies of the Commerce Business Daily will be helpful as a guide in preparing messages.

(5) Several items on one invitation for bids or request for proposals-Where several items are included in the same invitation for bids or request for proposals, a blanket statement such as "The following described items are to be procured under Invitation for Bids (or Request for Proposals) No.

plies or services is involved, enter the code for the class accounting for the largest dollar volume of the procurement.

(6) Procurements involving setasides-If the proposed procurement involves a small business set-aside or labor surplus area set-aside, the synopsis message shall:

(i) Where there is a 100 percent small business set-aside, state that "The proposed procurement(s) listed herein is (are) totally set aside for small business." Separate messages should be sent covering those proposed procurements which involve 100 percent small business setasides in order to facilitate proper identification in the synopsis.

(ii) Where there is a partial small business or labor surplus area set-aside, state that "An additional quantity of is

(Insert number of units and description) being reserved for

(3) Security clearance is required; or (4) Other circumstances exist which should be brought to the attention of prospective sources for consideration in order to indicate clearly those qualifying factors affecting the procurement.

(d) To alert concerns to the need for special capabilities or qualifications and thus permit them to avoid improvident expenditures for bid preparation and the like, procurements of the kind described in paragraph (c) of this section should be so identified in the synopsis. Appropriate notations for inclusion in the synopsis, such as set forth below, should be devised to meet the needs of specific situations.

(1) Availability of specifications, plans, or drawings. It will be impracticable to dis

A research report containing findings to date is not available to the Government.

(5) Production requirements. The production of the supplies listed requires a substantial initial investment or an extended period of preparation for manufacture. § 18-1.1003-10 Area Redevelopment Administration.

To provide wider dissemination of NASA procurement information to labor surplus area concerns, a copy of all synopses of proposed procurements transmitted to Chicago for publication in the Commerce Business Daily will be sent at the same time to the Federal Procurement Division, Area Redevelopment Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.

§ 18-1.1004 Synopses of contract awards. Awards of all unclassified contracts to be performed in whole or in part within the United States, exceeding $25,000 in amount, shall be publicized in the "Commerce Business Daily Synopsis of U.S. Government Proposed Procurement, Sales and Contract Awards." This dollar amount is not a prohibition against publicizing smaller awards where it is determined that such publication would be advantageous to industry or to the Government.

§ 18-1.1004-1 Preparation and transmittal.

(a) Procurement offices shall transmit single copies of synopses of contract awards by airmail or ordinary mail, whichever is considered more expeditious, before the close of business at the end of each week, addressed as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce, Admin