Competitive Range Determination (CRD) is the range of proposals that have been identified by a contracting officer to be highly rated amount a group of proposals. These highly rated proposals will be continued into source selection. CRD helps eliminate proposals that are not competitive before starting an official source selection and to strengthen those that are thru negotiations. It improves the source selection process.
Website: FAR 15.306 “Exchanges with Offerors after Receipt of Proposals”
The competitive range is determined on the basis of the ratings of each proposal against all evaluation factors. The contracting officer might limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals. The Government must then indicate to or discuss with, each offeror still being considered for the award, significant weaknesses, deficiencies, and other aspects of its proposal. The contracting officer notifies all contractors eliminated from the competitive range.
FAR 15.306 (C) “Exchanges with offerors after receipt of proposals” [1]
(C) Competitive range.
(1) Agencies shall evaluate all proposals in accordance with 15.305(a), and, if discussions are to be conducted, establish the competitive range. Based on the ratings of each proposal against all evaluation criteria, the contracting officer shall establish a competitive range comprised of all of the most highly rated proposals, unless the range is further reduced for purposes of efficiency pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(2) After evaluating all proposals in accordance with 15.305(a) and paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the contracting officer may determine that the number of most highly rated proposals that might otherwise be included in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted. Provided the solicitation notifies offerors that the competitive range can be limited for purposes of efficiency (see 52.215-1(f)(4)), the contracting officer may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals (10 U.S.C. 2305(b)(4) and 41 U.S.C. 3703).
(3) If the contracting officer, after complying with paragraph (d)(3) of this section, decides that an offeror’s proposal should no longer be included in the competitive range, the proposal shall be eliminated from consideration for award. Written notice of this decision shall be provided to unsuccessful offerors in accordance with 15.503.
(4) Offerors excluded or otherwise eliminated from the competitive range may request a debriefing (see 15.505 and 15.506).
AcqNotes and References:
Updated: 7/5/2021
Rank: G1
