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SF 1449 explained: how to fill it out, block by block

How to fill out the SF 1449 block by block: the five blocks you complete, what the government fills in, and the mistakes that get offers rejected.

By the Seal the Bid team · Updated October 21, 2026

The Standard Form 1449 (SF 1449), "Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Products and Commercial Services," is the cover form for most federal commercial buys under FAR Part 12. It is prescribed by GSA under FAR 53.212 (acquisition.gov). The current version is REV. 11/2021. You can download it from gsa.gov/forms.

If you're an HVAC, plumbing or mechanical contractor, you'll mostly see the SF 1449 on service and repair work: preventive maintenance, chiller service, boiler inspections, equipment replacement bought as a commercial service. Most construction jobs use the SF 1442 instead (see SF 1442 explained).

The form is one page plus a continuation page. It is one document that does three jobs: the government's solicitation, your offer, and the award.

The rule printed at the top: you complete five blocks

The form itself says: "OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, AND 30." The contracting office fills in everything else. Read every block anyway, because the information you need to bid is in the blocks you don't fill in.

Blocks 1–11: read these before you price anything

Block What it is What to do with it
1 Requisition number Internal government number. Ignore.
2 Contract number Left blank until award.
3 Award/effective date Left blank until award.
4 Order number Filled in if this is an order under an existing contract.
5 Solicitation number Copy this exactly onto everything you submit.
6 Solicitation issue date When the clock started.
7a/7b Name and phone for solicitation information Your contracting contact. Send questions in writing unless told otherwise.
8 Offer due date/local time Hard deadline. Late offers are generally rejected. Check the time zone.
9 Issued by The contracting office.
10 Unrestricted or set-aside, with NAICS and size standard Tells you who may bid: small business, WOSB, EDWOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB or 8(a). Check your size under the listed NAICS (HVAC work is usually 238220).
11 FOB destination unless marked Matters mainly for supplies.

Blocks 12–18: terms, method and addresses

  • Block 12, Discount terms (you complete): offer a prompt-payment discount, such as "1% 10 days," or write "None." Don't leave it blank.
  • Blocks 13a/13b, DPAS rating: shows whether this is a rated order under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (15 CFR 700). This is common on DoD work.
  • Block 14, Method of solicitation: RFQ, IFB or RFP. This tells you how the offer will be evaluated. An IFB is typically sealed bidding at the lowest price. An RFP may weigh technical factors and past performance as well as price.
  • Block 15, Deliver to: the site or delivery address.
  • Block 16, Administered by: the office that manages the contract after award.
  • Block 17a, Contractor/Offeror (you complete): your legal name and address exactly as registered in SAM.gov, your code (your UEI, unless the solicitation asks for something else), facility code if one applies, and your phone number.
  • Block 17b (you complete if it applies): check it if payments should go to a different address, and put that address in the offer.
  • Blocks 18a/18b: who pays and where to send invoices. Many agencies now require electronic invoicing, so check the addendum.

Blocks 19–24: the price schedule

Columns 19–22 (item number, schedule of supplies/services, quantity, unit) are usually filled in by the government. Often they say "see attached schedule" or refer to CLINs on the continuation page.

  • Block 23, Unit price (you complete)
  • Block 24, Amount (you complete): quantity × unit price.

Check your math line by line. Price every CLIN, including option years if they're listed. A missing line item can make your offer nonresponsive. For service work, build the applicable wage determination into your labor rates before you fill these in.

Blocks 25–29: government blocks you still need to read

  • 25 and 26: accounting data and total award amount, both government use only.
  • 27a: the solicitation incorporates FAR 52.212-1 (Instructions to Offerors) and 52.212-4 (Contract Terms and Conditions) by reference. It says whether 52.212-3 and 52.212-5 are attached, and whether addenda are attached. Read the addenda. That's where the agency puts its real instructions and evaluation criteria.
  • 27b: the same thing for the resulting contract.
  • 28: if checked, you must sign and return the stated number of copies.
  • 29: the award block. Your offer is accepted by reference to its date.

Block 30: your signature (you complete)

  • 30a: signature of someone authorized to bind your company.
  • 30b: typed name and title.
  • 30c: date signed.

Block 31 is the contracting officer's signature. Page 2 repeats columns 19–24 for more line items and holds the government's receiving and payment blocks (32 onward).

What has to go with the SF 1449

The form is only the cover. A complete offer usually also includes:

  1. Acknowledgment of every amendment (SF 30). Missing one is a common reason offers get rejected.
  2. Your representations and certifications. Most come from your SAM.gov registration under FAR 52.212-3, but check whether the solicitation asks for extra paragraphs.
  3. Anything addendum 52.212-1 asks for: technical approach, past performance, licenses, insurance certificates.
  4. A price schedule that matches Blocks 23–24.

SF 1449 checklist

  • Active SAM.gov registration, with name and address matching Block 17a
  • Eligible for the set-aside and size standard in Block 10
  • Deadline and time zone from Block 8 on your calendar
  • All amendments acknowledged
  • Block 12 discount terms filled in, or "None"
  • Block 17a complete with UEI; Block 17b checked if remittance differs
  • Every CLIN priced in Blocks 23–24, math checked
  • Wage determination built into labor rates (service work)
  • 52.212-1 addendum instructions followed exactly
  • Block 30 signed by an authorized person and dated
  • Submitted by the method the solicitation specifies

Frequently asked questions

Which blocks does the contractor fill out on an SF 1449? Blocks 12, 17, 23, 24 and 30, as printed at the top of the form. Block 17b too if your remittance address is different.

What's the difference between the SF 1449 and the SF 1442? The SF 1449 is for commercial products and services under FAR Part 12. The SF 1442 is for construction, alteration or repair. HVAC maintenance is often bought on a 1449, and HVAC installation projects on a 1442.

Where do I get the current SF 1449? From GSA's forms library at gsa.gov. The current revision is REV. 11/2021, and the form says previous editions are not usable.

Is signing the SF 1449 enough to submit an offer? No. You must also acknowledge every amendment and follow the 52.212-1 addendum instructions. Your representations and certifications must be current in SAM.gov.

What code goes in Block 17a? Normally your Unique Entity ID (UEI) from SAM.gov. Follow the solicitation if it asks for something else.

Related

Don't want to fill it out yourself?

Seal the Bid prepares the finished bid package, SF 1449 included, along with a free win analysis: who won similar jobs, at what price, against how many bidders (from USAspending/FPDS). You set the price and you submit. Prices start at $495 (see pricing), and you pay for your first bid only if you submit it. Get your free win analysis.