§4103 General authority

Summary

Agency heads may use task or delivery order contracts to buy services or property, as long as they follow this law and other rules. A contract notice must say how long the contract lasts and any options to extend it, the maximum number or dollar amount of items or services to be bought, and a clear description of the work, its scope, and purpose. Noncompetitive awards can only happen if the exception in section 3304(a) applies and is approved under section 3304(e). An agency can award one contract or, if the notice allows, separate contracts to two or more vendors. You do not need a section 3303 determination to make multiple awards. A single-source contract estimated to exceed $100,000,000 can only be made with a written finding that one of four specific reasons applies, and Congress must be told within 30 days if it is for “exceptional circumstances.” Rules must favor multiple awards when possible and explain when they are not practical. Individual orders cannot change the overall contract’s scope, length, or maximum value; only a contract modification can do that. Except as section 4105 says, this does not cover advisory and assistance services, and it does not change other legal contracting authorities.