Overview
This section establishes the framework for assessing the "responsibility" of potential contractors and subcontractors, ensuring they have the capability and integrity to perform government work.
Key Rules
- Determination Requirement: Prescribes the mandatory policies and procedures for evaluating a vendor's fitness for a contract award.
- Standardized Criteria: Sets the specific standards that must be met to be deemed a "responsible" source.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Applies the evaluation process to both prospective prime contractors and, where applicable, subcontractors.
Practical Implications
- A Contracting Officer cannot award a contract to any firm without first making an affirmative determination of responsibility.
- This subpart serves as the primary safeguard to ensure taxpayer dollars are not awarded to firms that are financially unstable, unethical, or technically incapable of performance.