GENERAL PROVISIONS 1.1008 Paid Advertisements in Newspapers and Trade Journals. Use of paid advertisements for procurement purposes is not currently authorized within NASA (see 2.203-3). 1.1050 Furnishing Additional Procurement Information to the Public. 1.1050-1 Policy. In addition to publicizing procurements and contract awards in the Commerce Business Daily, it is NASA policy to furnish the public, upon request, through the public affairs office of the NASA installation receiving the request, information on specific current NASA procurements, including: (i) the names of firms invited to submit bids or proposals; (ii) the names of firms which attended pre-proposal briefing conferences when held; and (iii) after the date established for receipt of bids or proposals, the names of firms which submitted bids or proposals. (iv) contract award information as required to be publicized in the Commerce Business Daily under the provisions of 1.1005-1. Exceptions to this policy will be permitted only when the Director of Procurement or the Director of the field installation concerned determines that the disclosure of such information would be prejudicial to the interests of NASA. 1.1050-2 Procedures. (a) Contracts requiring approval by the Director of Procurement, in accordance with Part 50, Subpart 1, will not be distributed, or any information given to any source outside of NASA that the contract has been approved, until 24 hours after the Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs and the Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs, NASA Headquarters, have been advised that the contract has been consummated. (b) For procurements other than those enumerated in (a) above, unclassified public information requested will be furnished through the Public Information Office of the NASA installation receiving the request. When press releases or public announcements are made, for procurements of $10,000 or more, they shall include the following information: (i) For awards after formal advertising, state that the contract was awarded after competition by formal advertising and include the number of bids solicited and the number received, and state in general terms the basis for selection, e.g., the lowest responsible bidder. (ii) For awards after procurement by negotiation, include the information contained in the notice prescribed by 3.106-3(b) and where the award was made after competitive negotiation (either price or design competition), include a statement to this effect and state in general terms the basis for selection. [Next page is 175] 1.1201 Subpart 12-Specifications, Plans, and Drawings General. (a) Plans, drawings, specifications or purchase descriptions for procurements shall state only the actual minimum needs of the Government and describe the supplies and services in a manner which will encourage maximum competition and eliminate, insofar as is possible, any restrictive features which might limit acceptable offers to one supplier's product, or the products of a relatively few suppliers. Items to be procured shall be described by reference to the applicable specifications or by a description containing the necessary requirements. When specifications are cited, all amendments or revisions thereof, applicable to the procurement, should be identified and the identification shall include the dates thereof. Drawings and data furnished with solicitations shall be clear and legible. (b) Many specifications cover several grades or types, and provide for several options in methods of inspection, etc. When such specifications are used, the solicitation shall state specifically the grade, type, or method of inspection, etc., on which bids or offers are to be based. 1.1202 Mandatory Specifications. (a) Except as provided in (b) below, Federal specifications are mandatory for use by NASA in the procurement of supplies and services covered by such specifications, unless determined by NASA to be inapplicable for its use. (b) Federal specifications need not be used for the following unless required by agency instructions: (i) purchase incident to research and development; (ii) purchase of items for test or evaluation; (iii) purchase of laboratory test equipment for use by Government (iv) purchase of items in an amount not to exceed $2,500 (multiple (c) Whenever a specification is found to be inadequate, immediate action shall be taken to effect the issuance of an amendment or a revision in accordance with established procedures to obviate the necessity for repeated departures from the specification. 1.1203 Availability of Specifications, Standards, Plans, and Drawings. Each solicitation shall be accompanied by the applicable specifications, standards, plans, drawings, and other pertinent documents, or shall state where such documents may be obtained or examined, in accordance with this paragraph. If the applicable specifications, standards, plans, drawings, and other pertinent documents are not furnished, the solicitation shall include a provision substantially similar to (a) or (b) below, as appropriate. AND GENERAL PROVISIONS (a) AVAILABILITY OF SPECIFICATIONS, STANDARDS, PLANS, DRAWINGS, OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS. The specifications, standards, plans, drawings, and other pertinent documents cited in this Invitation for Bids/ Request for Proposals may be obtained by submitting a request to: (Installation) (Complete Address) Requests should give the number of the Invitation for Bids/Request for Proposal, and the title and number of the specification, standard, plan, drawing or other pertinent document requested, exactly as cited in this Invitation/Request. AND (b) AVAILABILITY OF SPECIFICATIONS, STANDARDS, PLANS, DRAWINGS, OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS. The specifications, standards, plans, drawings, and other pertinent documents cited in this Invitation for Bids/ Request for Proposals may be examined at the following locations: (Insert Complete Address) 1.1204 Packaging Requirements. (a) Appropriate preservation, packaging, packing, and marking requirements will be included in contracts as applicable. The services of packaging technicians shall be used to the maximum extent practicable, for example, for the following purposes: (i) development or establishment of preservation, packaging, packing, and marking requirements for individual procurements; and (ii) assistance in evaluating the reasonableness of contractors' packaging, packing, and marking cost estimates or charges. (b) Unrealistic preservation, packaging, packing, and marking requirements should be reported and changes recommended to the activity originating the requirement and to the contracting officer. (a) A purchase description may be used in lieu of a specification when authorized by 1.1202(b) and, subject to the restriction on repetitive use in 1.1202(b) (vi), where no applicable specification exists. A purchase description should set forth the essential characteristics and functions of the items or materials required. Purchase descriptions shall not be written so as to specify a product, or a particular feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer and thereby preclude consideration of a product manufactured by another company, unless it is determined that the particular feature is essential to the Government's requirements, and that similar products of other companies lacking the particular feature would not meet the minimum requirements for the item. Generally, the minimum acceptable purchase description is the identification of a requirement by use of brand name followed by the words "or equal." This technique should be used only as a last resort when an adequate specification or more detailed description cannot feasibly be made available in time for the procurement under consideration. Purchase descriptions of services to be procured should outline to the greatest degree practicable the specific services the contractor is expected to perform. |