Overview
This section outlines the conditions under which federal agencies may voluntarily procure items not currently on the AbilityOne Procurement List from participating nonprofit agencies. It establishes that while these acquisitions are not mandatory, AbilityOne agencies may compete for such contracts through standard solicitation methods.
Key Rules
- Competitive Participation: Ordering offices may purchase non-Procurement List items from an AbilityOne nonprofit if that agency is determined to be the low responsive, responsible offeror under standard acquisition methods.
- Solicitation Distribution: Contracting officers are encouraged to proactively send solicitations to AbilityOne nonprofit agencies that appear qualified to perform the work.
- Non-Mandatory Status: Unlike items on the official Procurement List (which must be purchased from AbilityOne), these acquisitions are optional and subject to normal competitive requirements.
Practical Implications
- This provision allows government agencies to support the AbilityOne mission while still adhering to competitive requirements for items not yet set aside for the program.
- It requires contracting officers to actively include nonprofit agencies in their market research and solicitation mailing lists to ensure these organizations have the opportunity to compete in the open market.