[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 48, Volume 1]

[Revised as of October 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 48CFR13.303-2]



[Page 218]

 

            TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM

 

                CHAPTER 1--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION

 

PART 13_SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES--Table of Contents

 

               Subpart 13.3_Simplified Acquisition Methods

 

Sec. 13.303-2  Establishment of BPAs.



    (a) The following are circumstances under which contracting officers 

may establish BPAs:

    (1) There is a wide variety of items in a broad class of supplies or 

services that are generally purchased, but the exact items, quantities, 

and delivery requirements are not known in advance and may vary 

considerably.

    (2) There is a need to provide commercial sources of supply for one 

or more offices or projects in a given area that do not have or need 

authority to purchase otherwise.

    (3) The use of this procedure would avoid the writing of numerous 

purchase orders.

    (4) There is no existing requirements contract for the same supply 

or service that the contracting activity is required to use.

    (b) After determining a BPA would be advantageous, contracting 

officers shall--

    (1) Establish the parameters to limit purchases to individual items 

or commodity groups or classes, or permit the supplier to furnish 

unlimited supplies or services; and

    (2) Consider suppliers whose past performance has shown them to be 

dependable, who offer quality supplies or services at consistently lower 

prices, and who have provided numerous purchases at or below the 

simplified acquisition threshold.

    (c) BPAs may be established with--

    (1) More than one supplier for supplies or services of the same type 

to provide maximum practicable competition;

    (2) A single firm from which numerous individual purchases at or 

below the simplified acquisition threshold will likely be made in a 

given period; or

    (3) Federal Supply Schedule contractors, if not inconsistent with 

the terms of the applicable schedule contract.

    (d) BPAs should be prepared without a purchase requisition and only 

after contacting suppliers to make the necessary arrangements for--

    (1) Securing maximum discounts;

    (2) Documenting individual purchase transactions;

    (3) Periodic billings; and

    (4) Incorporating other necessary details.