SOURCING AND COMPETITION
This FAR 6.302 exception is invoked when only one responsible source can meet the government's needs — the one behind most WSS awards.
What is ‘only one responsible source’ (FAR 6.302-1)?
FFP
What is Firm-Fixed-Price?
Effective October 2025, this is the new Simplified Acquisition Threshold — up from $250,000.
What is $350,000?
This document lets a new or alternate vendor prove it can build a form-fit-function match to an approved part, without holding the original technical data package.
What is a Source Approval Request (SAR)?
COR
What is Contracting Officer's Representative?
This required document justifies and gets approval to award without full and open competition, above the SAT.
What is a Justification and Approval (J&A)?
UCA
What is Undefinitized Contract Action?
This is the current micro-purchase threshold for supplies, up from $10,000.
What is $15,000?
Unlike a Request for Variance, which asks for a one-time deviation from the spec, this document proposes a permanent change to a part's design or drawing.
What is an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP)?
DCMA
What is Defense Contract Management Agency?
This term describes soliciting a handful of known, qualified sources rather than the whole marketplace — common when only a couple of vendors are approved to build a part.
What is limited competition (other than full and open)?
MLO
What is Monetary Limitation Order?
This was the certified cost-or-pricing-data (TINA) threshold for contracts entered into on or before June 30, 2026.
What is $2.5 million?
This test on the first production unit off the line verifies a new or alternate source's part actually meets spec before full-rate production begins.
What is First Article Test / First Article Testing (FAT)?
This term describes a situation that would lead a reasonable person to question a KO's impartiality — even with no actual bias.
What is an apparent conflict of interest?
This is the rarest of the three competition types on your desk — any responsible source may compete, no pre-qualification required.
What is full and open competition?
Without a qualifying proposal on file, a UCA can be obligated up to this percentage of the not-to-exceed price.
What is 49%?
Thanks to the FY26 NDAA, this is the new TINA / certified cost-or-pricing-data threshold for contracts entered into after June 30, 2026.
What is $10 million?
This term describes material or equipment the government hands the contractor to use in performing the repair, instead of making the contractor buy it.
What is Government Furnished Material/Property (GFM/GFP)?
This is the legal authority, documented on an SF-1402, that lets a Contracting Officer bind the government.
What is a warrant?
This FAR Part governs competition requirements and spells out the exceptions to full and open competition.
What is FAR Part 6?
Once a qualifying proposal has been submitted, that UCA obligation ceiling jumps to this percentage of the not-to-exceed price.
What is 75%?
This is the FAR section where you'll find the definitions of both the Simplified Acquisition Threshold and the micro-purchase threshold.
What is FAR 2.101?
This Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin heavy-lift helicopter, supported out of the Philadelphia site, replaced the CH-53E Super Stallion.
What is the CH-53K King Stallion?
Contracting nerds around the world spend their Saturday mornings drafting a fantasy XI for this English soccer league game.
What is Fantasy Premier League (FPL)?