Sourcing Parts for DLA DIBBS Bids: Finding the Manufacturer Behind Your Quote
When sourcing parts for DLA DIBBS bids, we find a manufacturer or authorized source for the exact CAGE and part number, confirm packaging, testing and material requirements, and return a supplier quote you can bid from. Send the solicitation number, item description, quantity, delivery terms and bid close date.
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Sourcing parts for DLA DIBBS bids: what we do
If you bid on DLA solicitations through DIBBS and need a manufacturer behind the bid, send us the solicitation and we look for a maker or authorized source that can build or supply the exact item described, with the packaging, testing and material requirements the solicitation carries. You stay the offeror; we find the source, flow the requirements down and bring back a quote you can price from.
Most of the requests we see come from resellers and small contractors who are registered to bid but do not own a machine shop or a distribution line. The common problem is the same each time: the solicitation names an item by CAGE code and part number, demands mil-spec packaging and sometimes first article testing, and the bid window is short. Finding a manufacturer for a DLA solicitation is less about finding anyone who can make the part and more about finding one who can make it in a way DLA will accept.
What we do not do: we do not submit quotes on DIBBS for you, we do not hold a registration, approved source status or QPL listing ourselves, and we cannot make an unapproved source acceptable on a source-controlled item. We route the work to suppliers that hold what the item requires.
How DIBBS and DLA solicitations work
DIBBS, the DLA Internet Bid Board System, is the web application DLA vendors use to search solicitations, submit quotes and receive awards. Most small DLA buys are quoted directly on it, and on automated solicitations a quote sent any other way is not considered.
A DLA briefing presented at the April 2024 DLA Supply Chain Alliance Conference summarized the common types. Requests for quotations were described as under $250K, with the majority under $10,000, and are quoted on DIBBS. Requests for proposals above that level are posted to DIBBS but answered with an uploaded proposal rather than the quote screen. Automated solicitations incorporate the DLA Master Solicitation for Automated Simplified Acquisitions by reference, stay open until the purchase request is awarded or cancelled, and must be quoted on DIBBS. The master solicitation in effect at award is the one that governs, so read the current revision linked from the solicitation, not a copy saved last year.
For a sourcing partner, the practical point is timing. Many small automated buys close quickly, so a manufacturer quote that takes two weeks to come back is often too late for the current solicitation, though it can still position you for the next buy of the same NSN.
Have a part like this?Send it in under a minute. A person replies within 1 business day.RFQ vs IDPO vs long-term automated contracts
An automated RFQ usually leads to a one-time purchase order for a fixed quantity; an IDPO commits you to fill delivery orders for an indefinite quantity at your quoted price over a set period. Know which one you are bidding before you ask a manufacturer for a quote, because the supplier is committing to the same terms you are.
| Type | How it is identified | What the bidder commits to | What to ask the manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated RFQ (one-time buy) | Solicitation number beginning SPE with a T in the ninth position | A fixed quantity and delivery for a purchase order | Price and lead time for that quantity, packed to the solicitation |
| IDPO (indefinite delivery purchase order) | SPE solicitation with a U in the ninth position | Firm price for subsequent delivery orders over a defined period, quantity not fixed beyond any minimum | Whether they will hold price for the period, and the order size and lead time they can support repeatedly |
| Automated indefinite delivery contract (AIDC, now described as a unilateral simplified indefinite delivery contract) | Flagged in DIBBS search results and on the solicitation | One year base for a stocked item bought several times a year, with a guaranteed minimum; alternate and surplus offers not allowed | Commitment to the forecast quantity and delivery order minimums |
The IDPO and AIDC cases are where resellers get hurt: a manufacturer quotes a spot price, the award arrives, and the price or lead time is not available on the third delivery order. Ask the source to quote against the full contract period.
Reading the item description: CAGE plus part number
The procurement item description tells you what DLA will accept. When it lists approved sources as CAGE code and part number pairs, you must deliver one of those exact items, made by or traceable to that CAGE.
Read it in this order:
- The NSN and the acquisition method suffix code. The AMSC tells you whether the buy is open to anyone who meets the data or limited to listed sources. Our NSN sourcing guide explains the codes and how the NSN is built.
- The approved source list. Each CAGE and part number pair is an acceptable product. A part with the same number from a different maker is not the same product.
- The drawing or specification references. If a technical data package is attached, the item may be buildable by a new manufacturer. If it is not, you are buying the listed product.
- Quality, inspection and testing notes. First article, product verification, inspection at origin or destination, and any critical safety item designation.
- Packaging and marking requirements. These are part of the item, not an afterthought.
If you are offering the listed part from a distributor rather than the manufacturer, the trace back to that CAGE is what makes it acceptable. For electronic parts on defense contracts, DFARS 252.246-7008 sets the order of preference for sources; our counterfeit parts avoidance page covers it.
Approved sources, source-controlled items and the SAR
On a source-controlled or source-restricted item, a capable manufacturer that is not on the approved source list cannot simply be quoted as the product. It has to be approved first, through a source approval request (SAR) or an alternate offer.
DLA describes a SAR as the package of information a prospective new source submits for an item currently bought other than full and open, including source-controlled, source-restricted and code and part number buys. The package has to include the technical data needed to show the new source can make the item to the same level of quality as the approved source. For source-controlled items, DLA notes that a letter from the activity controlling the item, giving permission to use its technical data, may also be needed.
Two practical consequences for a bidder:
- An alternate offer on an automated solicitation does not win the current buy. DLA guidance says alternate products quoted on automated solicitations are evaluated for future procurements, not the current one. If the bid closes this week, quote an approved product or pass.
- SAR work is a long game. It makes sense for items DLA buys repeatedly, where an approved second source has value over years, not for a single small buy.
We can help identify a manufacturer that might pursue a SAR and assemble what it needs from you, but the SAR is that manufacturer's submission and DLA's decision. Start with the DLA SAR Guide listed in the sources.
QPL items
When the item is a specification part that requires qualification, the product must come from a source listed on the qualified products list for that specification at the time of award. Being able to make the part to the spec is not enough.
Check the specification's QPL in the Qualified Products Database before you ask anyone to quote. If the listed sources sell through distribution, the distributor quote must trace to the listed manufacturer and the listed part designation. Our QPL and QPD guide covers lookup and what happens when a source loses qualification.
DLA packaging and marking: MIL-STD-2073-1 and MIL-STD-129
DLA solicitations usually call out packaging to MIL-STD-2073-1 and marking to MIL-STD-129, and a shipment that is right in every other way can still be rejected for the wrong pack or label. Price packaging into the bid from the start.
| Standard | What it covers | Revision to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| MIL-STD-2073-1, DoD Standard Practice for Military Packaging | Preservation and packing methods to protect material from corrosion, deterioration and damage in storage and shipment through the Defense Transportation System | Revision E with changes issued through Change 4 (April 2019) on public copies; confirm the current revision on ASSIST |
| MIL-STD-129, Military Marking for Shipment and Storage | Identification and shipment marking, labels and bar codes; revision R moved to a single two-dimensional PDF417 symbol in place of multiple linear bar codes | Revision R with Change 2 (September 2019) on public copies; confirm the current revision on ASSIST |
Ask the manufacturer whether it packs and marks to these standards itself or ships commercial pack for someone else to repack. Either works if you plan for it. What does not work is discovering at shipment that nobody on the chain prints military labels or has the preservation materials the packaging codes call for. Our crating and packaging page covers the physical side.
First article testing and product verification testing
If the solicitation requires first article testing, the first units must be tested and approved before production of the rest of the quantity goes ahead, and anything built before approval is at the contractor's risk. Make sure the manufacturer behind your bid knows this before it quotes.
The FAR first article clauses cover both contractor testing (52.209-3) and government testing (52.209-4). Under the government testing clause, the contractor delivers the specified units for test, the contracting officer approves, conditionally approves or disapproves them, the contractor bears the cost of resubmission after a disapproval, and buying material or starting production of the balance before approval is at the contractor's sole risk. That last point is a cost and schedule issue for your supplier, so it belongs in your quote request.
Separately, DLA runs a product verification program that tests samples of delivered items to confirm they meet the contract technical requirements. A source that is fine on paper but marginal on a dimension or a material property is exactly what that testing finds. Ask for the inspection records and material certifications with every shipment, not only the first. Our first article inspection page explains the AS9102 report many manufacturers also produce.
DFARS specialty metals
If the item contains specialty metals such as certain steels, nickel and cobalt alloys, titanium or zirconium, and the contract carries DFARS 252.225-7009, the metal must generally be melted or produced in the United States or a qualifying country, subject to the clause's exceptions. Your manufacturer's mill certs need to show where.
Ask the manufacturer up front which material it will use and whether its certs state the melt country. Our specialty metals page covers the exceptions and how compliance shows on paperwork.
How a reseller or small contractor uses us
The working pattern is simple: you find the solicitation, we find and qualify the source, you price and submit the bid.
- You send the solicitation number, the item description, quantity, delivery terms and the bid close date.
- We read the approved sources, AMSC, data references, testing and packaging requirements and tell you plainly if the item is one you can realistically bid.
- We contact the listed manufacturers, their authorized distribution, or for open items, capable shops that can build to the data, under NDA where drawings are involved.
- We bring back one quote with lead time, the documents the source will provide, and anything it takes exception to.
- If you win, we place the order, flow down the solicitation requirements, check the paperwork before shipment and deliver with a certificate of conformance and the certs the contract calls for.
A person replies within 1 business day, and requests with a near bid close date are prioritized. We do not promise that a source exists for every NSN.
What goes wrong on DLA bids, and how we prevent it
- Same number, different maker. Prevented by matching the CAGE and part number pair, not the part number alone.
- Distributor stock with no trace to the approved CAGE. Prevented by asking for the manufacturer's certificate and the distribution chain before quoting.
- Packaging left out of the price. Prevented by quoting mil-spec pack and marking as a line, or naming who repacks.
- First article surprises. Prevented by telling the source about test units, test cost and the production hold before it quotes.
- Spot price on a long-term contract. Prevented by asking the source to quote for the full IDPO or AIDC period.
- Specialty metals gaps. Prevented by confirming melt country on the material certs before award.
What to send with your request
- Solicitation number and bid close date
- NSN, the approved CAGE and part number pairs, and the AMSC if shown
- Quantity, delivery schedule, and for an IDPO or AIDC the contract period and estimated quantities
- Any drawings or data attached to the solicitation, and their distribution statements
- First article, product verification or inspection requirements
- Packaging and marking requirements as written
- Contract clauses that flow down, including DFARS 252.225-7009 and 252.246-7008 where present
Find a manufacturer for your DLA solicitation
Send the solicitation and item description through the DLA sourcing request form with the bid close date in the first line. We will tell you quickly whether the item has a realistic source and what it will take to supply it the way DLA wrote it. If the item or its data is export controlled, read controlled programs first, and see confidentiality for how drawings are handled. For raw material behind a build-to-print item, see certified aerospace material.
Send the job. A person replies within 1 business day.
Part, quantity and date are enough to start. Drawings and the mutual NDA follow by reply, and controlled programs never send technical data through this site.
We have it.
Reference . A person replies within 1 business day. Watch for our email from [email protected].
Questions
Can you submit my quote on DIBBS?
No. You remain the offeror and you submit the quote on DIBBS under your own registration. We find a manufacturer or authorized source for the item, confirm it can meet the solicitation's packaging, testing and material requirements, and give you a supplier quote you can price from. If you win, we can place the order with that source, flow the requirements down, check the paperwork and deliver with a certificate of conformance.
What is the difference between an RFQ and an IDPO on DIBBS?
An automated RFQ, identified by a T in the ninth position of an SPE solicitation number, normally results in a one-time purchase order for a set quantity. An IDPO, identified by a U in that position, commits you to fill delivery orders at your quoted price over a defined period for a quantity that is not fixed beyond any minimum. For an IDPO, your supplier needs to hold its price and lead time for the whole period, not just the first order.
Can I offer a different manufacturer's part on a source-controlled NSN?
Not as an approved product on the current buy. A source-controlled item can only be supplied from the approved sources listed in the item description. A new manufacturer has to be approved first, usually through a source approval request or an alternate offer with technical data showing it can make the item to the same quality. DLA guidance says alternate products quoted on automated solicitations are evaluated for future buys, not the current one.
What is a source approval request, or SAR?
A SAR is the package a prospective new source submits to DLA to be approved for an item that is currently bought from limited sources, such as source-controlled or code and part number items. It must include enough technical data to show the new source can make the item at the same level of quality as the approved source. For source-controlled items, permission from the controlling activity to use its data may also be required. DLA publishes a SAR guide describing the contents.
Do I need to pack to MIL-STD-2073-1 myself?
Someone in the chain does, if the solicitation calls for it. Many manufacturers ship commercial packaging, and many resellers use a packaging house to preserve, pack and mark to MIL-STD-2073-1 and MIL-STD-129. Either way is fine as long as it is priced into the bid and the labels and preservation match the codes in the solicitation. Confirm the current revisions on ASSIST rather than relying on an old copy.
What happens if first article testing is required?
The first units go through testing and must be approved before the rest of the quantity is accepted. Under the FAR government testing clause, the contractor pays for resubmission after a disapproval, and any material bought or production started before approval is at the contractor's own risk. Tell your manufacturer about the test units, the testing and the production hold before it quotes, because each one affects its price and its schedule.
Related
Sources
- DLA briefing via NDIA: DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS), April 2024 (solicitation types, AIDC, master solicitation)
- DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS)
- DLA Master Solicitation for Automated Simplified Acquisitions (current revision)
- DLA Small Business: Source Approval Request (SAR) Guide
- Acquisition.gov: DFARS PGI 217.7506, spare parts breakout program (AMSC definitions)
- Acquisition.gov: FAR 52.209-4 First Article Approval, Government Testing
- Acquisition.gov: DFARS 252.225-7009 Restriction on Acquisition of Certain Articles Containing Specialty Metals
- Acquisition.gov: DFARS 252.246-7008 Sources of Electronic Parts (Jan 2023)
- EverySpec: MIL-STD-2073-1E with Change 4, DoD Standard Practice for Military Packaging
- GSA copy: MIL-STD-129R with Change 2, Military Marking for Shipment and Storage
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