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SF 33 is the Standard Form 33, Solicitation, Offer and Award. It is a federal procurement form, not a grant form: it appears when a federal agency buys supplies or services under a contract, and a research office or lab that responds to such a solicitation signs it. The form serves three purposes on one document: the government describes what it is soliciting, the bidder or offeror states its offer, and the government records its award. The facts below are as described on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) pages at acquisition.gov and on an agency-issued copy of the form, checked on 2026-10-29.
What SF 33 is and who uses it
SF 33 is a contracting form issued by the federal government. FAR 53.214(c) describes it as “SF 33 (Rev. 12/2022), Solicitation, Offer and Award” and says it is prescribed for soliciting bids for supplies or services and for awarding the contracts that result from the bids, unless award is accomplished by SF 26. The contracting agency fills in the solicitation and award portions. The bidder or offeror fills in the offer portion. For a university lab or research office the relevant case is a contract opportunity, for example equipment or services bought by an agency, rather than a grant or cooperative agreement, which are governed by different rules. For the grant side of federal purchasing rules, see 2 CFR 200 procurement standards.
When the FAR prescribes SF 33
FAR 14.201-2(a)(1) directs contracting officers to prepare the invitation for bids on SF 33 “unless otherwise permitted by this regulation.” The same section states that SF 33 is the first page of the solicitation and includes Section A of the uniform contract format. The remaining schedule sections that follow it are:
- Section B: supplies or services and prices
- Section C: description and specifications
- Section D: packaging and marking
- Section E: inspection and acceptance
- Section F: delivery or performance
- Section G: contract administration data
- Section H: special contract requirements
FAR 14.201-1(c) adds the point that matters most to the person signing: award by acceptance of a bid on the award portion of SF 33 incorporates the bidder’s Section K representations and certifications into the contract, even though they are not physically attached. Signing the offer portion therefore commits the organisation to more than the page itself shows.
Block by block: solicitation, offer and award
The block numbers below come from an agency-issued copy of the form in edition Rev. 9-97 (from a U.S. Department of Energy NETL solicitation, Amendment 0002). The edition named by FAR 53.214(c) is Rev. 12/2022, so check the numbering on the edition you are holding.
| Portion | Items | Completed by | What is recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solicitation | 1 to 11 | Government | Rated order under DPAS (Item 1); solicitation number (3); type of solicitation, sealed bid (IFB) or negotiated (RFP) (4); date issued (5); requisition or purchase number (6); issuing and receiving offices (7, 8); time and date offers are due (9); information contact (10); table of contents of Parts I to IV, Sections A to M (11) |
| Offer | 12 to 18 | Offeror | Acceptance period (12); prompt-payment discount (13); acknowledgement of amendments (14); offeror name and address, telephone, remittance address (15A to 15C); authorized signer name and title (16); signature (17); offer date (18) |
| Award | 19 to 28 | Government | Items accepted (19); amount (20); accounting and appropriation (21); authority for other than full and open competition (22); invoice, administration and payment offices (23 to 25); contracting officer name (26); signature (27); award date (28) |
The form itself notes that in sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”. It also prints the statement that award will be made on this form, on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.
Typical steps to complete the offer portion
- Read Item 9 first. It gives the time and date sealed offers are received until, and the caution beneath it points to Section L, provision 52.214-7 or 52.215-1, for late submissions, modifications and withdrawals.
- Complete Item 12. The form states a 60 calendar day acceptance period, counted from the date for receipt of offers, unless a different period is inserted by the offeror. Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes provision 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.
- Decide whether to offer a prompt-payment discount in Item 13 (the form lists 10, 20 and 30 calendar day options, tied to Section I clause 52.232-8).
- Acknowledge each amendment in Item 14.
- Enter the organisation name, address, telephone and remittance address in Items 15A to 15C.
- Have a person with signing authority complete Items 16 to 18: name and title, signature and date.
Typical timeline phases
The form’s own structure shows the order of events, without fixing any calendar dates. First the agency issues the solicitation (Items 1 to 11). Offers are then received until the time and date in Item 9, and the offer stays open for the acceptance period in Item 12. If the government accepts, the contracting officer completes the award portion (Items 19 to 28) and signs, and the signed form becomes the contract for the accepted items.
Common mistakes
- Treating SF 33 as a grant application. It is a contract form, and the rules for grants differ.
- Missing the receipt deadline in Item 9. The form’s caution directs bidders to Section L for how late submissions, modifications and withdrawals are handled.
- Overlooking the default 60-day acceptance period in Item 12, or the case where provision 52.214-16 means Item 12 does not apply.
- Signing without reading Section K. Under FAR 14.201-1(c), accepting a bid on the award portion incorporates the bidder’s Section K representations and certifications.
- Using the wrong edition. The DOE NETL agency copy described above is Rev. 9-97 and carries the footer “Previous edition is unusable”, while FAR 53.214(c) names Rev. 12/2022.
Related forms
| Form | What the FAR says |
|---|---|
| SF 33, Solicitation, Offer and Award | Prescribed by FAR 53.214(c) for soliciting bids for supplies or services and awarding the resulting contracts, unless award is accomplished by SF 26. |
| SF 26, Award/Contract | Named in FAR 53.214(c) and on the SF 33 itself as an alternative way to accomplish the award. |
| SF 1449 | A separate solicitation and contract form; see the CASRAI guide to SF 1449. |
For related federal contracting topics, see the FAR rule of two, small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and FAR 9.104 responsibility determinations.
FAQ
What does SF 33 stand for?
Standard Form 33, titled Solicitation, Offer and Award.
Is SF 33 a grant form?
No. It is a procurement form prescribed by FAR 53.214(c) for soliciting bids for supplies or services and awarding the resulting contracts.
What does signing the offer portion bind the bidder to?
If the government accepts a bid on the award portion, FAR 14.201-1(c) states that the bidder’s Section K representations and certifications are incorporated into the contract, although they are not physically attached.
How long does an offer stay open?
The agency copy of the form states 60 calendar days unless the offeror inserts a different period, counted from the date for receipt of offers. Item 12 does not apply where the solicitation includes provision 52.214-16.
Which edition is current?
As described on the FAR page checked on 2026-10-29, FAR 53.214(c) names SF 33 (Rev. 12/2022). Older agency-issued copies, such as one dated Rev. 9-97, may still circulate, so confirm the edition printed on the form you have.
Sources
- FAR 53.214, Solicitation and contract forms: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/53.214 (checked 2026-10-29)
- FAR 14.201-2, Solicitation provisions and uniform contract format: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/14.201-2 (checked 2026-10-29)
- FAR 14.201-1, Uniform contract format: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/14.201-1 (checked 2026-10-29)
- U.S. Department of Energy NETL, solicitation 89243324RFE000083, SF 33 (Rev. 9-97), Amendment 0002: netl.doe.gov, Standard Form 33 (SF-33) Amendment 0002 (PDF) (checked 2026-10-29)
