(ii) the time and place for the opening of the sealed bids; or

(B) in the case of competitive proposals

(i) either a statement that the proposals are intended to be evaluated with, and award made after, discussions with the offerors, or a statement that the proposals are intended to be evaluated, and award made, without discussions with the offerors (other than discussions conducted for the purpose of minor clarification) unless discussions are determined to be necessary; and

(ii) the time and place for submission of proposals. (c)(1) In prescribing the evaluation factors to be included in each solicitation for competitive proposals, an executive agency

(A) shall clearly establish the relative importance assigned to the evaluation factors and subfactors, including the quality of the product or services to be provided (including technical capability, management capability, prior experience, and past performance of the offeror);

(B) shall include cost or price to the Federal Government as an evaluation factor that must be considered in the evaluation of proposals; and

(C) shall disclose to offerors whether all evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are

or

(i) significantly more important than cost or price;
(ii) approximately equal in importance to cost or price;

(iii) significantly less important than cost or price. (2) The regulations implementing subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) may not define the terms "significantly more important" and "significantly less important" as specific numeric weights that would be applied uniformly to all solicitations or a class of solicitations.

(d) Nothing in this section prohibits an executive agency from

(1) providing additional information in a solicitation, including numeric weights for all evaluation factors and subfactors on a case-by-case basis; or

(2) stating in a solicitation that award will be made to the offeror that meets the solicitation's mandatory requirements at the lowest cost or price.

(e) An executive agency, in issuing a solicitation for a contract to be awarded using sealed bid procedures, may not include in such solicitation a clause providing for the evaluation of prices for options to purchase additional property or services under the contract unless the executive agency has determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the options will be exercised.

SEC. 303B. [41 U.S.C. 253b] EVALUATION AND AWARD.

(a) An executive agency shall evaluate sealed bids and competitive proposals, and award a contract, based solely on the factors specified in the solicitation.

(b) All sealed bids or competitive proposals received in response to a solicitation may be rejected if the agency head determines that such action is in the public interest.

(c) Sealed bids shall be opened publicly at the time and place stated in the solicitation. The executive agency shall evaluate the bids in accordance with subsection (a) without discussions with the bidders and, except as provided in subsection (b), shall award a contract with reasonable promptness to the responsible source whose bid conforms to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the United States, considering only price and the other price-related factors included in the solicitation. The award of a contract shall be made by transmitting, in writing or by electronic means, notice of the award to the successful bidder. Within 3 days after the date of contract award, the executive agency shall notify, in writing or by electronic means, each bidder not awarded the contract that the contract has been awarded.

(d)(1) An executive agency shall evaluate competitive proposals in accordance with subsection (a) and may award à contract

(A) after discussions with the offerors, provided that written or oral discussions have been conducted with all responsible offerors who submit proposals within the competitive range; or

(B) based on the proposals received and without discussions with the offerors (other than discussions conducted for the purpose of minor clarification), if, as required by section 303Á(b)(2)(B)(i), the solicitation included a statement that proposals are intended to be evaluated, and award made, without discussions, unless discussions are determined to be necessary. (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), the executive agency shall award a contract with reasonable promptness to the responsible source whose proposal is most advantageous to the United States, considering only cost or price and the other factors included in the solicitation. The executive agency shall award the contract by transmitting, in writing or by electronic means, notice of the award to such source and, within 3 days after the date of contract award, shall notify, in writing or by electronic means, all other offerors of the rejection of their proposals.

(e)(1) When a contract is awarded by the head of an executive agency on the basis of competitive proposals, an unsuccessful offeror, upon written request received by the agency within 3 days after the date on which the unsuccessful offeror receives the notification of the contract award, shall be debriefed and furnished the basis for the selection decision and contract award. The executive agency shall debrief the offeror within, to the maximum extent practicable, 5 days after receipt of the request by the executive agency.

(2) The debriefing shall include, at a minimum—

(A) the executive agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the offeror's offer;

(B) the overall evaluated cost and technical rating of the offer of the contractor awarded the contract and the overall evaluated cost and technical rating of the offer of the debriefed offeror;

(C) the overall ranking of all offers;

(D) a summary of the rationale for the award;

(E) in the case of a proposal that includes a commercial item that is an end item under the contract, the make and

model of the item being provided in accordance with the offer of the contractor awarded the contract; and

(F) reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the executive agency. (3) The debriefing may not include point-by-point comparisons of the debriefed offeror's offer with other offers and may not disclose any information that is exempt from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code.

(4) Each solicitation for competitive proposals shall include a statement that information described in paragraph (2) may be disclosed in post-award debriefings.

(5) If, within one year after the date of the contract award and as a result of a successful procurement protest, the executive agency seeks to fulfill the requirement under the protested contract either on the basis of a new solicitation of offers or on the basis of new best and final offers requested for that contract, the head of such executive agency shall make available to all offerors

(A) the information provided in debriefings under this subsection regarding the offer of the contractor awarded the contract; and

(B) the same information that would have been provided to the original offerors.

(6) The contracting officer shall include a summary of the debriefing in the contract file.

(f) If the agency head considers that a bid or proposal evidences a violation of the antitrust laws, such agency head shall refer the bid or proposal to the Attorney General for appropriate action.

(g)(1)(A) In preparing a solicitation for the award of a development contract for a major system, the head of an agency shall consider requiring in the solicitation that an offeror include in its offer proposals described in subparagraph (B). In determining whether to require such proposals, the head of the agency shall give due consideration to the purposes for which the system is being procured and the technology necessary to meet the system's required capabilities. If such proposals are required, the head of the agency shall consider them in evaluating the offeror's price.

(B) The proposals that the head of an agency is to consider requiring in a solicitation for the award of a development contract are the following:

(i) Proposals to incorporate in the design of the major system items which are currently available within the supply system of the Federal agency responsible for the major system, available elsewhere in the national supply system, or commercially available from more than one source.

(ii) With respect to items that are likely to be required in substantial quantities during the system's service life, proposals to incorporate in the design of the major system items which the United States will be able to acquire competitively in the future.

(2)(A) In preparing a solicitation for the award of a production contract for a major system, the head of an agency shall consider

requiring in the solicitation that an offeror include in its offer proposals described in subparagraph (B). In determining whether to require such proposals, the head of the agency shall give due consideration to the purposes for which the system is being procured and the technology necessary to meet the system's required capabilities. If such proposals are required, the head of the agency shall consider them in evaluating the offeror's price.

(B) The proposals that the head of an agency is to consider requiring in a solicitation for the award of a production contract are proposals identifying opportunities to ensure that the United States will be able to obtain on a competitive basis items procured in connection with the system that are likely to be reprocured in substantial quantities during the service life of the system. Proposals submitted in response to such requirement may include the following:

(i) Proposals to provide to the United States the right to use technical data to be provided under the contract for competitive reprocurement of the item, together with cost to the United States, if any, of acquiring such technical data and the right to use such data.

(ii) Proposals for the qualification or development of multiple sources of supply for the item.

(3) If the head of an agency is making a noncompetitive award of a development contract or a production contract for a major system, the factors specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) to be considered in evaluating an offer for a contract may be considered as objectives in negotiating the contract to be awarded.

(h) PROTEST FILE.—(1) If, in the case of a solicitation for a contract issued by, or an award or proposed award of a contract by, the head of an executive agency, a protest is filed pursuant to the procedures in subchapter V of chapter 35 of title 31, United States Code, and an actual or prospective offeror so requests, a file of the protest shall be established by the procuring activity and reasonable access shall be provided to actual or prospective offerors.

(2) Information exempt from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, may be redacted in a file established pursuant to paragraph (1) unless an applicable protective order provides otherwise.

(3) Regulations implementing this subsection shall be consistent with the regulations regarding the preparation and submission of an agency's protest file (the so-called "rule 4 file") for protests to the General Services Board of Contract Appeals under section 111 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 759).

(i) AGENCY ACTIONS ON PROTESTS.-If, in connection with a protest, the head of an executive agency determines that a solicitation, proposed award, or award does not comply with the requirements of law or regulation, the head of such executive agency

(1) may take any action set out in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of subsection (b)(1) of section 3554 of title 31, United States Code; and

(2) may pay costs described in paragraph (1) of section 3554(c) of such title within the limits referred to in paragraph (2) of such section.

SEC. 303C. [41 U.S.C. 253c] ENCOURAGEMENT OF NEW COMPETITION.

(a) In this section, "qualification requirement" means a requirement for testing or other quality assurance demonstration that must be completed by an offeror before award of a contract. (b) Except as provided in subsection (c), the head of the agency shall, before enforcing any qualification requirement

(1) prepare a written justification stating the necessity for establishing the qualification requirement and specify why the qualification requirement must be demonstrated before contract award;

(2) specify in writing and make available to a potential offeror upon request all requirements which a prospective offeror, or its product, must satisfy in order to become qualified, such requirements to be limited to those least restrictive to meet the purposes necessitating the establishment of the qualification requirement;

(3) specify an estimate of the costs of testing and evaluation likely to be incurred by a potential offeror in order to become qualified;

(4) ensure that a potential offeror is provided, upon request, a prompt opportunity to demonstrate at its own expense (except as provided in subsection (d)) its ability to meet the standards specified for qualification using qualified personnel and facilities of the agency concerned or of another agency obtained through interagency agreement, or under contract, or other methods approved by the agency (including use of approved testing and evaluation services not provided under contract to the agency);

(5) if testing and evaluation services are provided under contract to the agency for the purposes of clause (4), provide to the extent possible that such services be provided by a contractor who is not expected to benefit from an absence of additional qualified sources and who shall be required in such contract to adhere to any restriction on technical data asserted by the potential offeror seeking qualification; and

(6) ensure that a potential offeror seeking qualification is promptly informed as to whether qualification is attained and, in the event qualification is not attained, is promptly furnished specific information why qualification was not attained.

(c)(1) Subsection (b) of this section does not apply with respect to a qualification requirement established by statute prior to the date of enactment of this section.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), if it is unreasonable to specify the standards for qualification which a prospective offeror or its product must satisfy, a determination to that effect shall be submitted to the advocate for competition of the procuring activity responsible for the purchase of the item subject to the qualification requirement. After considering any comments of the advocate for competition reviewing such determination, the head of the procuring activity may waive the requirements of paragraphs (2) through (5) of subsection (b) for up to two years with respect to the item subject to the qualification requirement.

(3) The waiver authority contained in paragraph (2) shall not apply with respect to any qualified products list.