[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 48, Volume 1] [Revised as of October 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 48CFR13.501] [Page 214] TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM CHAPTER 1--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION PART 13_SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES--Table of Contents Subpart 13.5_Test Program for Certain Commercial Items Sec. 13.501 Special documentation requirements. (a) Sole source acquisitions. (1) Acquisitions conducted under simplified acquisition procedures are exempt from the requirements in part 6. However, contracting officers must-- (i) Conduct sole source acquisitions, as defined in 2.101, under this subpart only if the need to do so is justified in writing and approved at the levels specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section; and (ii) Prepare sole source justifications using the format at 6.303-2, modified to reflect an acquisition under the authority of the test program for commercial items (section 4202 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996) or the authority of the Homeland Security Act (Public Law 107-296, section 856) as implemented at 12.102(f)(1). (2) Justifications and approvals are required under this subpart only for sole source acquisitions. (i) For a proposed contract exceeding $100,000, but not exceeding $500,000, the contracting officer's certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer's knowledge and belief will serve as approval, unless a higher approval level is established in accordance with agency procedures. (ii) For a proposed contract exceeding $500,000 but not exceeding $10,000,000, the competition advocate for the procuring activity, designated pursuant to 6.501, or an official described in 6.304(a)(3) or (a)(4) must approve the justification and approval. This authority is not delegable. (iii) For a proposed contract exceeding $10,000,000 but not exceeding $50,000,000, the head of the procuring activity or the official described in 6.304(a)(3) or (a)(4) must approve the justification and approval. This authority is not delegable. (iv) For a proposed contract exceeding $50,000,000 the official described in 6.304(a)(4) must approve the justification and approval. This authority is not delegable except as provided in 6.304(a)(4). (b) Contract file documentation. The contract file must include-- (1) A brief written description of the procedures used in awarding the contract, including the fact that the test procedures in FAR subpart 13.5 were used; (2) The number of offers received; (3) An explanation, tailored to the size and complexity of the acquisition, of the basis for the contract award decision; and (4) Any justification approved under paragraph (a) of this section. [62 FR 64917, Dec. 9, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 72448, Dec. 27, 1999; 66 FR 2128, Jan. 10, 2001; 68 FR 4050, Jan. 27, 2003]