Can You Ask Questions Before Bidding on a Government Contract?

A solicitation is the government’s request for quotes, bids, or proposals. An amendment is an official change to that request.

Questions can help clarify what the government needs. They do not guarantee that the agency will change the requirement, extend the deadline, or accept your preferred approach.

Start with the question instructions

Before contacting anyone, read the solicitation, attachments, amendments, and any posted questions and answers.

Find:

• The deadline for questions, which may be earlier than the submission deadline.
• The designated contact or submission portal.
• Required subject lines, templates, or file formats.
• Where answers and amendments will appear.

Use the stated channel. Do not try to obtain a different answer by approaching unrelated agency personnel.

For negotiated acquisitions covered by FAR 15.201, the contracting officer becomes the focal point for exchanges after the solicitation is released.

Ask about a specific requirement

A useful question identifies the exact location of the uncertainty and asks for a concrete clarification.

Imagine one attachment requires delivery within 15 days while another says 30 days. Instead of asking, “What is the delivery schedule?” write:

Attachment A, paragraph 3, specifies delivery within 15 calendar days after award. Attachment B, paragraph 2, specifies 30 calendar days. Please clarify the required delivery period and revise the conflicting language as appropriate.

This is a hypothetical example, not an actual Cairn pursuit.

Other useful questions might address conflicting quantities, missing attachments, unclear packaging instructions, or inconsistent submission requirements. Read first. Ask what remains unresolved.

Protect sensitive business information

Write requirement questions so they can be answered without revealing private pricing, supplier arrangements, or technical strategy.

Answers affecting proposal preparation may need to be shared with other potential offerors. If a question genuinely requires sensitive information, ask the designated contracting contact how to submit it appropriately before including it.

Check whether the answer changes the solicitation

A clarification explains an existing requirement. A change to the requirement may need an amendment.

Under FAR 15.206, applicable to negotiated acquisitions, changes to government requirements or solicitation terms must be made through an amendment. For sealed bidding, FAR 52.214-6 states that preaward oral explanations are not binding when that provision applies.

Do not treat an informal conversation as permission to disregard written requirements. Ask how any change will be formally reflected.

Do not assume your question extends the deadline

Sending a question is not approval of an extension request. Track the submission deadline separately and check for official changes.

Before submitting:

1. Check for new answers and amendments.
2. Update pricing, delivery plans, and response documents.
3. Acknowledge amendments as the solicitation requires.
4. Verify the current deadline and submission channel.

Practical takeaway

Good preparation does not mean pretending everything is clear. It means identifying what is unclear early enough to act responsibly.

Procedures vary by acquisition method and applicable agency deviations. Check the instructions and provisions governing the specific solicitation.

Know someone pricing around an unclear requirement?

Share this guide before they turn a question into an expensive assumption.

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