The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is revising how it evaluates proposals for weapons system contracts, giving greater weight to technical capability in order to prevent ultra-low bidding.
DAPA said it would hold a public hearing on the 15th at the Government Complex Gwacheon on proposed amendments to the standards for negotiated contracts in defense improvement projects, with about 200 participants including defense industry officials.
The hearing is intended to explain the proposed changes and gather views from the field. The proposals reflect suggestions raised by industry, academia and research institutions at a forum on K-defense bidding rules held in February, as well as requests made by the National Assembly in 2024 and 2025.
Under the amendments, the evaluation categories and the points assigned to each item in research and development projects would be adjusted so that technical capability is more fully reflected in the selection of contractors.
The agency will also set a bidding floor for procurement projects to prevent companies from submitting excessively low prices. The aim is to keep bidding from tilting toward price competition alone and to ensure that technical capability and project execution capacity are properly reflected in contractor selection.
DAPA said it would review the opinions raised at the hearing, incorporate them into the amendments and complete the revision of the relevant rules within the second half of this year.
"Based on the various views presented at the hearing, we will refine the proposed improvements and complete the revision of the relevant rules within the second half of this year without a hitch," said Jung Beom-seung, director general of the defense acquisition policy bureau.