FAR 52.211-7 — Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards

Solicitation provision · dated Nov 1999 · prescribed in FAR 11.107(b) · current through FAC 2026-01

In plain English

FAR 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, is a solicitation provision prescribed at FAR 11.107(b), most recently dated Nov 1999. The complete official text is reproduced below, verbatim, from GSA's published FAR source files.

Its text contains no sentence requiring insertion into subcontracts; see the flowdown section below for what that does and does not mean.

Does it flow down to subcontracts?

No flowdown mandate found in the clause text

This is a solicitation provision — it applies to offerors when submitting an offer, not to contract performance, so subcontract flowdown is generally not the operative question for it.

Where it's prescribed

As prescribed in 11.107(b), insert the following provision:

Prescribing reference: FAR 11.107(b).

The official text, verbatim

FAR 52.211-7 · Nov 1999 current through FAC 2026-01 acquisition.gov eCFR (48 CFR)

As prescribed in 11.107(b), insert the following provision:

Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards (Nov 1999)

  • (a) This solicitation includes Government-unique standards. The offeror may propose voluntary consensus standards that meet the Government’s requirements as alternatives to the Government-unique standards. The Government will accept use of the voluntary consensus standard instead of the Government-unique standard if it meets the Government’s requirements unless inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical.

  • (b) If an alternative standard is proposed, the offeror must furnish data and/or information regarding the alternative in sufficient detail for the Government to determine if it meets the Government’s requirements. Acceptance of the alternative standard is a unilateral decision made solely at the discretion of the Government.

  • (c) Offers that do not comply with the Government-unique standards specified in this solicitation may be determined to be nonresponsive or unacceptable. The offeror may submit an offer that complies with the Government-unique standards specified in this solicitation, in addition to any proposed alternative standard(s).

(End of provision)

The text above is reproduced from GSA's published FAR source files (GSA/GSA-Acquisition-FAR @ da52ccb (2026-03-30)), retrieved 2026-07-17. The official publication at acquisition.gov / eCFR controls if they differ.