# 48 CFR § 12.202: 12.202 Market research and description of agency need

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.202

## Section

- **Citation:** 48 CFR § 12.202
- **Heading:** 12.202 Market research and description of agency need
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** September 22, 2026
- **Source:** Publisher's official text
- **Location:** Title 48—Federal Acquisition Regulations System > CHAPTER 1—FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION > SUBCHAPTER B—ACQUISITION PLANNING > PART 12—ACQUISITION OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES > Subpart 12.2—Special Requirements for the Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services

## Text

(a) Market research (see 10.001) is an essential element of building an effective strategy for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services and establishes the foundation for the agency description of need (see part 11), the solicitation, and resulting contract.
(b) The description of agency need must contain sufficient detail for potential offerors of commercial products or commercial services to know which products or commercial services may be suitable. Generally, for acquisitions in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold, an agency's statement of need for a commercial product or commercial service will describe the type of commercial product or commercial service to be acquired and explain how the agency intends to use the product or service in terms of function to be performed, performance requirement or essential physical characteristics. Describing the agency's needs in these terms allows offerors to propose methods that will best meet the needs of the Government.
(c) Follow the procedures in subpart 11.2 regarding the identification and availability of specifications, standards and commercial item descriptions.
(d) Requirements documents shall identify the applicable information and communication technology accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194.1 (see 11.002(f) and subpart 39.2).
(e) When acquiring information technology using Internet Protocol, agencies must include the appropriate Internet Protocol compliance requirements in accordance with 11.002(g).
[60 FR 48241, Sept. 18, 1995, as amended at 62 FR 264, Jan. 2, 1997; 66 FR 20897, Apr. 25, 2001; 74 FR 65607, Dec. 10, 2009; 86 FR 44232, Aug. 11, 2021; 86 FR 61022, Nov. 4, 2021]

## Nearby sections

- [48 CFR § 12.101 12.101 Policy.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.101.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.102 12.102 Applicability.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.102.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.103 12.103 Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) items.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.103.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.201 12.201 General.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.201.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.202 12.202 Market research and description of agency need.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.202.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.203 12.203 Procedures for solicitation, evaluation, and award.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.203.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.204 12.204 Solicitation/contract form.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.204.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.205 12.205 Offers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.205.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.206 12.206 Use of past performance.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.206.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.207 12.207 Contract type.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.207.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.208 12.208 Contract quality assurance.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.208.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.209 12.209 Determination of price reasonableness.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.209.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.210 12.210 Contract financing.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.210.md)
- [48 CFR § 12.211 12.211 Technical data.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.211.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-48-12.202. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.