DAPA moves to set bidding floor against ultra-low bids and targets December for multiple-award contracting

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration is revising contract evaluation rules to curb unrealistically low bids on weapons programs, Seoul Economic Daily reported on October 15, 2026. The changes introduce a bidding floor below which offers are not accepted and raise the weighting of technical capability relative to price, with revisions to be completed in the second half of 2026. Separately, DAPA said on October 11 that it aims to finalize a multiple-award bidding model by December, allowing more than one supplier to be selected for a program to secure supply chains and keep competition alive. The reforms follow the 2026 bribery case involving a DAPA evaluation official and industry complaints that price-driven awards had squeezed small suppliers.