Federal Contracting Acronym
OCI
Organizational Conflict of Interest
Plain-English definition
Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) arises when a contractor's other contracts, investments, or advisory roles could impair objectivity or provide unequal access to nonpublic information. FAR Subpart 9.5 requires agencies to identify and mitigate OCIs in solicitations. Offerors submit OCI mitigation plans or represent no conflict. OCI is related to but distinct from Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) reviews in defense security contexts.
Why it matters
Undisclosed OCIs can lead to proposal exclusion or post-award challenges; mitigation design is part of competitive strategy.
Where you will see it
Section L instructions, ethics representations, advisory contract proposals, and M&A due diligence for GovCon buyers.
Example in context
A systems integrator proposing objective evaluation support documents firewall procedures to mitigate access to competitor data.