CFCM Contract Planning & Formation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A pre-solicitation notice published to FedBizOpps/SAM.gov for acquisitions exceeding $25,000 must be posted at least how many days before the solicitation is issued?
- 5 calendar days
- 10 calendar days
- 15 calendar days (Correct answer)
- 30 calendar days
Correct answer: 15 calendar days
FAR 5.203(b) requires agencies to publish pre-solicitation notices at least 15 days before issuing the solicitation for acquisitions exceeding $25,000.
Question 2: Under FAR Part 12, when acquiring commercial items, the contracting officer is required to use which solicitation form?
- SF 33
- SF 1442
- SF 1449 (Correct answer)
- DD 1155
Correct answer: SF 1449
FAR 12.204 requires use of the Standard Form 1449 (Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items) for commercial item acquisitions.
Question 3: The Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) is primarily used to:
- Set the contract ceiling price that cannot be exceeded
- Evaluate the reasonableness of offerors' proposed prices (Correct answer)
- Determine the contractor's allowable profit margin
- Establish the should-cost baseline for contractor management
Correct answer: Evaluate the reasonableness of offerors' proposed prices
The IGCE provides the government's pre-solicitation estimate of costs, used during evaluation to assess whether offeror prices are fair and reasonable.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'bundling' under FAR 7.107?
- Combining multiple small requirements into one large order under an existing IDIQ contract
- Consolidating two or more requirements into a single solicitation that would preclude small business participation (Correct answer)
- Awarding task orders to multiple contractors under one IDIQ vehicle
- Grouping contract line items for administrative convenience
Correct answer: Consolidating two or more requirements into a single solicitation that would preclude small business participation
FAR 7.107 defines bundling as combining requirements that were previously or could have been performed under smaller contracts, potentially restricting small business participation.
Question 5: A Presolicitation Notice for an 8(a) sole-source award is NOT required when the contract value is below:
- $150,000 (Correct answer)
- $250,000
- $700,000
- $4 million
Correct answer: $150,000
SAM.gov presolicitation notice requirements for 8(a) sole-source awards are triggered above the simplified acquisition threshold; below $150,000 the micro-purchase exception generally applies.
Question 6: When a solicitation contains a minimum quantity guarantee in an IDIQ contract, what is the government's obligation if it fails to order at least that minimum?
- The contractor may terminate the contract for default
- The government must pay the contractor for the unordered minimum quantity (Correct answer)
- The contractor may demand a contract modification increasing the maximum
- No obligation exists because IDIQ contracts are indefinite by nature
Correct answer: The government must pay the contractor for the unordered minimum quantity
The government is legally obligated to order the guaranteed minimum; if it does not, the contractor is entitled to damages equal to the value of the unordered minimum.
Question 7: Which source selection method is most appropriate when the government cannot clearly define its requirements and wants industry to propose innovative solutions?
- Sealed bidding
- Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)
- Best-value tradeoff (Correct answer)
- Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
Correct answer: Best-value tradeoff
Best-value tradeoff (FAR 15.101-1) is appropriate when requirements are not fully definable and the government wants to weigh technical merit against price for superior solutions.
CFCM Contract Planning & Formation 3
A pre-solicitation notice published to FedBizOpps/SAM.gov for acquisitions exceeding $25,000 must be posted at least how many days before the solicitation is issued?