Overview
Section 6.204 authorizes contracting officers to limit competition to eligible 8(a) program participants to satisfy the statutory requirements of the Small Business Act.
Key Rules
- Authority to Limit Competition: Contracting officers may restrict solicitation to eligible 8(a) participants in accordance with Subpart 19.8.
- Documentation Exemption: No formal Justification and Approval (J&A) or Determination and Findings (D&F) is required to restrict competition to 8(a) firms under this part.
- Threshold Exception: While competitive 8(a) set-asides are generally exempt from separate justifications, sole source 8(a) awards exceeding $25 million require specific justifications and approvals as referenced in 6.302-5 and 6.303-1.
Practical Implications
- This section provides a streamlined administrative path for agencies to meet socioeconomic goals by removing the "full and open competition" justification requirements typically needed when limiting the pool of offerors.
- Contracting officers can efficiently execute 8(a) set-asides, provided they remain mindful of the increased documentation requirements for high-dollar sole source awards.