Notice of Required Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials (MAY 2014)

(a) Definitions. “Construction material,” “domestic construction material,” “foreign construction material,” “manufactured construction material,” “steel,” and “unmanufactured construction material,” as used in this provision, are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled “Required Use of Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials” (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.225-21).

(b) Requests for determinations of inapplicability. An offeror requesting a determination regarding the inapplicability of section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5) (Recovery Act) or the Buy American statute should submit the request to the Contracting Officer in time to allow a determination before submission of offers. The offeror shall include the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21 in the request. If an offeror has not requested a determination regarding the inapplicability of section 1605 of the Recovery Act or the Buy American statute before submitting its offer, or has not received a response to a previous request, the offeror shall include the information and supporting data in the offer.

(c) Evaluation of offers.

(1) If the Government determines that an exception based on unreasonable cost of domestic construction material applies in accordance with FAR 25.604, the Government will evaluate an offer requesting exception to the requirements of section 1605 of the Recovery Act or the Buy American statute by adding to the offered price of the contract—

(i) 25 percent of the offered price of the contract, if foreign manufactured construction material is incorporated in the offer based on an exception for unreasonable cost of comparable manufactured domestic construction material; and

(ii) 6 percent of the cost of foreign unmanufactured construction material included in the offer based on an exception for the unreasonable cost of comparable domestic unmanufactured construction material.

(2) If the solicitation specifies award on the basis of factors in addition to cost or price, the Contracting Officer will apply the evaluation factors as specified in paragraph (c)(1) of this provision and use the evaluated price in determining the offer that represents the best value to the Government.

(3) Unless paragraph (c)(2) of this provision applies, if two or more offers are equal in price, the Contracting Officer will give preference to an offer that does not include foreign construction material excepted at the request of the offeror on the basis of unreasonable cost of comparable domestic construction material.

(d) Alternate offers.

(1) When an offer includes foreign construction material not listed by the Government in this solicitation in paragraph (b)(3) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21, the offeror also may submit an alternate offer based on use of equivalent domestic construction material.

(2) If an alternate offer is submitted, the offeror shall submit a separate Standard Form 1442 for the alternate offer and a separate cost comparison table prepared in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21 for the offer that is based on the use of any foreign construction material for which the Government has not yet determined an exception applies.

(3) If the Government determines that a particular exception requested in accordance with paragraph (c) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21 does not apply, the Government will evaluate only those offers based on use of the equivalent domestic construction material, and the offeror shall be required to furnish such domestic construction material. An offer based on use of the foreign construction material for which an exception was requested—

(i) Will be rejected as nonresponsive if this acquisition is conducted by sealed bidding; or

(ii) May be accepted if revised during negotiations.

(b) Requests for determinations of inapplicability. An offeror requesting a determination regarding the inapplicability of section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5) (Recovery Act) or the Buy American statute shall submit the request with its offer, including the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-21.