(a) Procurement Timing. The request for proposals should be issued only when the project design requirements have been developed to a sufficient degree of specificity to permit competition with meaningful pricing for the ECW. The contracting officer should obtain written documentation for the contract file from the project manager that the project design requirements satisfy the condition stated in this section.

(b) Proposal Evaluation.

(1) Evaluation Factors.

(i) Except as provided in paragraph (ii) of this section, the solicitation shall provide that the technical evaluation factors, when combined, shall be considered significantly more important than cost or price.

(ii) Subject to the approval of the HCA, the weighting of the technical evaluation factors and cost or price may be different than that required under paragraph (i) of this section. Any such written approval shall be documented in the contract file.

(2) Price Realism. The contracting officer shall provide for a price realism analysis in the solicitation for the purpose of assessing, among others, whether an offeror's price reflects a lack of understanding of the contract requirements or risk inherent in an offeror's proposal. The solicitation shall provide offerors with notice that the agency intends to perform a price realism analysis.

(3) Total Evaluated Price. For purposes of evaluation, the total evaluated price shall include the firm-fixed-price for design phase services, the construction work GMP option(s), and any other fixed-priced line items. If advance pricing elements such as extended overhead rates and daily delay rates are proposed, those shall also be evaluated as part of the total evaluated price.

(c) Government Budget (e.g., Prospectus) Information. Subject to the approval of the contracting director, the solicitation may include information contained or referenced within a prospectus submission to Congress for a project.