Decide whether a late proposal may be considered
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- Record the time the solicitation set for receipt, the time the proposal reached the designated office, the transmission method, and whether any other proposal was received. Do not decide that the proposal may be considered.
- What the lawyer must review
- The lawyer decides under FAR 15.208. The offeror must get the proposal to the office named in the solicitation by the time stated. If no time is stated, the time is 4:30 p.m. local time at that office on the due date. A proposal received after the exact time is late and will not be considered unless it is received before award, accepting it would not unduly delay the acquisition, and one of three things is true: an authorised electronic submission reached the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure by 5:00 p.m. one working day before the date specified; acceptable evidence shows it was received at the designated installation and was under the Government's control before the time set; or it was the only proposal received. A late modification of an otherwise successful proposal that makes the terms more favorable to the Government will be considered at any time and may be accepted. The contracting officer must promptly tell the offeror that the proposal was late and whether it will be considered, unless award is imminent and the FAR 15.503(b) notice would suffice. That notice section was not opened. A challenge to a federal award, including the treatment of a late proposal, is a GAO bid protest. The GAO FAQ says an award protest is generally filed within 10 days of when the protester knows or should know the basis, with a special case where a required debriefing is received, and that the filing rules are strictly enforced. GAO must decide a protest within 100 calendar days. Days in the GAO rules are calendar days.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Do not begin AI assistance until the responsible lawyer has defined and confirmed its permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Open each relied-on authority independently. Confirm its existence, current status, proposition and any quotation or pinpoint reference.
- Check the current court or regulator requirements, prescribed form and attachments for the intended document and filing.
- Review operative clauses in the complete document, including definitions, cross-references, schedules and inconsistencies with the instructions.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.