Set-Asides & Socioeconomic Programs

Sole-Source Award

A non-competitive award to a single firm, permitted for SDVOSBs below dollar thresholds when only one source is reasonably available.

A sole-source award is a contract issued without competition to a single firm. For SDVOSBs, a contracting officer may make a sole-source award when the requirement does not exceed the applicable threshold (commonly $4.5 million, or $7.5 million for manufacturing NAICS codes), the SDVOSB is determined responsible, and the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that two or more SDVOSBs would submit offers. Sole-source authority lets agencies move quickly while still directing dollars to the program.

Primary Sources

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  1. LaunchedPublished the glossary covering 48 federal contracting terms with DefinedTerm structured data, primary-source citations, and cross-links into the NAICS, PSC, agency, vehicle, and FAQ pages.

Related Terms

Set-Aside

A contract or portion of a contract reserved for competition only among firms in a specified small business category.

Rule of Two

The requirement to set aside an acquisition when two or more capable small businesses are expected to bid at fair prices.

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