[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 48, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 48CFR15.102]

[Page 244-245]
 
            TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM
 
                CHAPTER 1--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION
 
PART 15_CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION--Table of Contents
 
         Subpart 15.1_Source Selection Processes and Techniques
 
Sec.  15.102  Oral presentations.

    (a) Oral presentations by offerors as requested by the Government 
may substitute for, or augment, written information. Use of oral 
presentations as a substitute for portions of a proposal can be 
effective in streamlining the source selection process. Oral 
presentations may occur at any time in the acquisition process, and are 
subject to the same restrictions as written information, regarding 
timing (see 15.208) and content (see 15.306). Oral presentations provide 
an opportunity for dialogue among the parties. Pre-recorded videotaped 
presentations that lack real-time interactive dialogue are not 
considered oral presentations for the purposes of this section, although 
they may be included in offeror submissions, when appropriate.
    (b) The solicitation may require each offeror to submit part of its 
proposal through oral presentations. However, certifications, 
representations, and a signed offer sheet (including any exceptions to 
the Government's terms and conditions) shall be submitted in writing.
    (c) Information pertaining to areas such as an offeror's capability, 
past

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performance, work plans or approaches, staffing resources, transition 
plans, or sample tasks (or other types of tests) may be suitable for 
oral presentations. In deciding what information to obtain through an 
oral presentation, consider the following:
    (1) The Government's ability to adequately evaluate the information;
    (2) The need to incorporate any information into the resultant 
contract;
    (3) The impact on the efficiency of the acquisition; and
    (4) The impact (including cost) on small businesses. In considering 
the costs of oral presentations, contracting officers should also 
consider alternatives to on-site oral presentations (e.g., 
teleconferencing, video teleconferencing).
    (d) When oral presentations are required, the solicitation shall 
provide offerors with sufficient information to prepare them. 
Accordingly, the solicitation may describe--
    (1) The types of information to be presented orally and the 
associated evaluation factors that will be used;
    (2) The qualifications for personnel that will be required to 
provide the oral presentation(s);
    (3) The requirements for, and any limitations and/or prohibitions 
on, the use of written material or other media to supplement the oral 
presentations;
    (4) The location, date, and time for the oral presentations;
    (5) The restrictions governing the time permitted for each oral 
presentation; and
    (6) The scope and content of exchanges that may occur between the 
Government's participants and the offeror's representatives as part of 
the oral presentations, including whether or not discussions (see 
15.306(d)) will be permitted during oral presentations.
    (e) The contracting officer shall maintain a record of oral 
presentations to document what the Government relied upon in making the 
source selection decision. The method and level of detail of the record 
(e.g., videotaping, audio tape recording, written record, Government 
notes, copies of offeror briefing slides or presentation notes) shall be 
at the discretion of the source selection authority. A copy of the 
record placed in the file may be provided to the offeror.
    (f) When an oral presentation includes information that the parties 
intend to include in the contract as material terms or conditions, the 
information shall be put in writing. Incorporation by reference of oral 
statements is not permitted.
    (g) If, during an oral presentation, the Government conducts 
discussions (see 15.306(d)), the Government must comply with 15.306 and 
15.307.