The Procurement Integrity Act prohibits the disclosure of information about the selection of sources and the contractor's offer or proposal. A former official of a federal agency cannot accept compensation from a contractor who has been awarded a competitive contract or with a single supplier, such as the contractor's employee, officer, director or consultant, within a period of 1 year after that former official-. The post-hire restriction of the Procurement Integrity Act prohibits a former employee who has performed any of these functions from receiving compensation from the contractor, including compensation as an employee, officer, director or consultant, for a period of one year after performing that role. B) Prohibition of obtaining information on acquisitions.
Except as provided by law, a person will not knowingly obtain information about bids or proposals from contractors or information about the selection of sources before the award of an acquisition contract from a federal agency to which the information relates. The Procurement Integrity Act (PIA) is the foundation of acquisition reporting regulations, which are intended to protect the impartiality and integrity of the federal procurement process. The PIA prohibits disclosing or receiving confidential information about acquisitions before a contract is awarded. This includes information about the “contractor's offer or proposal” and “source selection information”, which includes data such as bid prices, technical evaluations and bid ratings.
It's essential to familiarize yourself with PIA restrictions, as violations can result in criminal, civil, and administrative penalties not only for government officials who disclosed information about acquisitions, but also for contractors and individuals who obtained information about acquisitions. Contractors should refrain from engaging in labor conversations with federal officials who are currently engaged in relevant procurement activities, as violations may carry penalties, including disqualification of the contractor from participating in acquisitions.
