Overview
FAR 8.403 defines the scope of Subpart 8.4, specifying that its procedures govern individual orders and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) placed against Federal Supply Schedules (FSS).
Key Rules
- Scope of Application: The procedures apply to all individual delivery or task orders for supplies and services, as well as BPAs, established under FSS contracts.
- Precedence of Special Procedures: GSA reserves the right to establish schedule-specific ordering procedures. If these exist, they take precedence over the general ordering procedures found in FAR 8.405.
- Order-Level Materials (OLMs): Specific GSA-established procedures for OLMs are governed by GSAR Subpart 538.72 rather than standard FAR 8.4 procedures.
- Architect-Engineer (A&E) Exclusion: Agencies are prohibited from using FSS to acquire requirements that are substantially or dominantly A&E services; these must be procured using the qualifications-based selection procedures in FAR Subpart 36.6.
Practical Implications
- Contracting Officers must check the specific GSA Schedule terms to see if "special ordering procedures" override standard FAR 8.405 requirements.
- Procurement teams cannot use the streamlined FSS process to bypass the Brooks Act requirements for A&E services, ensuring that high-stakes design and engineering work undergoes rigorous qualification-based evaluation.