Before applying proprietary notices to a proposal, read the exact marking provision incorporated in your solicitation and map which specific sheets or worksheet identifiers contain restricted data.

Under FAR 52.215-1(e), offerors that include proposal data they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the government except for evaluation purposes, follow a two-part marking procedure on the title page and on each restricted sheet. Use a sheet register during final pagination lock so the sheet list on your title page matches your exported files.

Scope and Limits of Proposal Marking Under FAR 52.215-1(e)

When a competitive solicitation incorporates FAR 52.215-1(e), paragraph (e)(1) instructs the offeror to mark the title page with the specified legend identifying the exact [numbers or other identification of sheets] subject to the restriction, and paragraph (e)(2) instructs the offeror to mark each restricted sheet with the corresponding sheet legend referencing the title page. Because a solicitation may incorporate FAR 52.215-1(e), an agency-specific supplement, or a commercial acquisition provision, always copy the exact required legend wording from the provision actually incorporated in your solicitation rather than using invented commercial footers.

Keep two boundaries in mind when applying proposal legends:

  1. Proposal evaluation legends do not establish all postaward rights: As stated in FAR 52.215-1(e)(1), if a contract is awarded as a result of or in connection with the submission of the data, the government has the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract, and the restriction does not limit the government's right to use information obtained from another source without restriction. Proposal evaluation markings are also separate from deliverable data-rights clauses and do not create an unconditional confidentiality guarantee.
  2. Keep actual proprietary content inside authorized proposal files: Use your tracking register only to record file names, section references, and sheet or tab identifiers. Do not paste sensitive pricing formulas or proprietary technical details into a general or public project tracker.

When you read Section L and Section M of a federal RFP or coordinate partner inputs under teaming agreements and joint ventures in federal contracting, set up a blank restricted-sheet register before desktop publishing begins.

Restricted Proposal Sheet Register Template (With One Hypothetical Page-Shift Example)

Complete this register only after text edits, graphics, and page breaks are frozen. The first record shows a hypothetical pagination shift; the remaining records are blank templates for your actual pre-submission review.

1. Vol1_Technical.pdf [Hypothetical Example]

  • Incorporated provision: [Verify incorporated provision, e.g., FAR 52.215-1(e)]
  • Section identifier only: Prime Section 2.3 and Section 3.4; Subcontractor Annex B
  • Sheet / tab identification: Pre-lock (30 sheets): Prime 7-13, 21 (8 sheets) + Annex 26-28 (3 sheets). Post-lock after +1 page inserted at Sheet 3 (31 sheets): Prime 8-14, 22 (8 sheets) + Annex 27-29 (3 sheets) = 11 of 31 sheets
  • Check status: [Hypothetical Example Only - Not a Verified Submission]

2. [Enter PDF Volume File Name]

  • Incorporated provision: [Enter exact incorporated provision from RFP]
  • Section identifier only: [Enter non-sensitive section or table reference]
  • Sheet / tab identification: [Enter exact final exported PDF sheet numbers after pagination lock]
  • Check status: [Unverified - Check title-page list and individual sheet legends before lock]

3. [Enter Subcontractor Input or Annex]

  • Incorporated provision: [Enter exact incorporated provision from RFP]
  • Section identifier only: [Enter non-sensitive partner section reference]
  • Sheet / tab identification: [Enter merged master PDF sheet numbers occupied by partner pages]
  • Check status: [Unverified - Reconcile partner sheet numbers after master PDF merge]

4. [Enter Native Workbook File Name, e.g., .xlsx]

  • Incorporated provision: [Enter exact incorporated provision and agency portal instruction]
  • Section identifier only: [Enter non-sensitive pricing schedule reference]
  • Sheet / tab identification: [List each exact worksheet tab name individually, e.g., Tab 'Summary', Tab 'Rates_Base', Tab 'Rates_OY1']
  • Check status: [Unverified - Confirm marking method permitted for native workbooks]

Hypothetical Page-Shift Arithmetic Before Final Lock

Never finalize the sheet numbers in your title-page legend until pagination is frozen. In the hypothetical Vol1_Technical.pdf example above, suppose a 30-sheet draft volume contains restricted material in three places, and a final desktop-publishing pass inserts a 1-page diagram at Sheet 3:

  • Initial prime restricted range: Sheets 7 through 13 inclusive (13 - 7 + 1 = 7 sheets) plus single prime Sheet 21 (7 + 1 = 8 prime sheets)
  • Initial subcontractor annex restricted range: Sheets 26 through 28 inclusive (28 - 26 + 1 = 3 annex sheets)
  • Pagination shift from inserting 1 sheet at Sheet 3: total volume length increases from 30 + 1 = 31 sheets, and every sheet from Sheet 3 onward shifts by +1
  • Updated prime restricted range: 7 + 1 = Sheet 8 through 13 + 1 = Sheet 14 (14 - 8 + 1 = 7 sheets), plus 21 + 1 = Sheet 22 (7 + 1 = 8 prime sheets)
  • Updated subcontractor annex restricted range: 26 + 1 = Sheet 27 through 28 + 1 = Sheet 29 (29 - 27 + 1 = 3 annex sheets)
  • Total restricted sheets to list on the Volume I title page: 8 prime sheets + 3 annex sheets = 11 restricted sheets out of 31 total volume sheets (Sheets 8-14, 22, and 27-29)

Checking the inclusive sheet counts after final PDF export prevents the title page from pointing to shifted background pages while leaving the last page of a restricted table unlisted.

Three Rules for PDF and Native Workbook Markings

  1. Use the exact incorporated legend text: Copy the title-page and sheet wording directly from the provision incorporated in your solicitation rather than substituting generic corporate copyright footers.
  2. Identify native spreadsheet tabs unambiguously: Notice that FAR 52.215-1(e)(1) refers to sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]. When a solicitation requires a native spreadsheet workbook alongside or instead of a PDF price volume, do not assume a PDF title-page layout applies identically to an .xlsx file or use ambiguous shorthand like Rates_Opt1-4. Check how the incorporated provision and agency instructions direct offerors to mark native files, and list each exact worksheet tab identifier individually.
  3. Restrict only the sheets that actually contain restricted data: Apply the individual sheet legend only to the specific sheets or worksheet tabs listed in the title-page identification rather than stamping every page of public solicitation restatements.

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Sources

  • FAR 52.215-1 - Instructions to Offerors-Competitive Acquisition (FAR 52.215-1(e), (e)(1), and (e)(2)): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.215-1 (Retrieved 2026-11-06; Acquisition.gov baseline FAC 2026-01 effective 2026-03-13. Scope covers FAR 52.215-1(e) lead-in and paragraphs (e)(1)-(2) governing proposal evaluation title-page and sheet legends and the resulting-contract rights caveat; always read the actual provision incorporated in the solicitation and check agency deviations and solicitation terms.)