Overview
FAR 13.101 establishes the foundational requirements and best practices for Contracting Officers (COs) when executing simplified acquisitions. It balances mandatory compliance regarding small business protections and economic efficiencies with discretionary techniques intended to streamline the procurement process.
Key Rules
- Mandatory Compliance (Shall):
- COs must consider economic purchase quantities to ensure cost-effectiveness.
- COs must refer non-responsibility determinations regarding small businesses to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Certificate of Competency (COC) procedures.
- COs must ensure proper inspection of supplies and services per FAR 46.404.
- Recommended Best Practices (Should):
- Consolidation: Group related items into a single solicitation to facilitate "all-or-none" or "multiple award" outcomes.
- Streamlining: Use "incorporation by reference" for clauses and provisions to keep solicitation documents concise.
- Discounts: Actively seek trade and prompt payment discounts; however, prompt payment discounts must not be considered during the formal evaluation of quotations.
- Bulk Funding: Utilize bulk funding for frequent purchases to reduce the administrative burden of obtaining individual obligational authority for every transaction.
Practical Implications
- Small businesses are protected from arbitrary "non-responsible" determinations because COs are required to engage the SBA's Certificate of Competency process even in simplified acquisitions.
- Contracting Officers can significantly reduce lead times and paperwork by utilizing bulk funding and incorporating clauses by reference rather than including full-text versions in every request for quotation.