GSA: Soliciting from a Sole Source Vendor

ONLC Training Centers has hundreds of centers with fully outfitted training rooms across the US—with many of our facilities in large cities as well as smaller towns and more geographically remote locations. Those are the same areas where many of our government and military clients reside. Those remote areas are not served by traditional training companies.

ONLC is often considered a sole source vendor in those situations where:

• No other traditional training company serves the area.
• For security reasons, the individual cannot take training over the internet from their office or base.
• No travel budget has been allocated for training activities.

In those situations, the individual must go to a nearby off-site training facility. In many cases, ONLC is the only vendor running the classes that are needed without extensive travel.

Clients who want to consider ONLC Training Centers as a sole source vendor may find the following Frequently Asked Questions helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions Related to
Sole Source Vendor Purchases

Q: If we need training services not offered on GSA Schedule contracts, can we add such training services to our GSA Schedule BPA, or do we submit a request to the GSA contracting officers?

A: Open market items are also known as incidental items, noncontract items, non-Schedule items, and items not on a GSA Schedule contract. In accordance with FAR 8.402(f), for administrative convenience, an ordering activity contracting officer may add items not on the GSA Schedule contract i.e., open market items to a GSA Schedule BPA or an individual task or delivery order only if:

• All applicable acquisition regulations pertaining to the purchase of the items not on the GSA Schedule contract have been followed (e.g., publicizing (FAR Part 5), competition requirements (FAR Part 6), acquisition of commercial items (FAR Part 12), contracting methods (FAR Parts 13, 14, and 15), and small business programs (FAR Part 19));

• The ordering activity contracting officer has determined the prices for the items not on the GSA Schedule contract are fair and reasonable;

• The items are clearly labeled on the order as items not on the GSA Schedule contract; and

• All clauses applicable to items not on the GSA Schedule contract are included in the order.

Q: In establishing a GSA Schedule BPA, is there a requirement to solicit more than one source, or can the GSA Schedule BPA be negotiated with one specific GSA Schedule contractor?

A: When establishing single or multiple GSA Schedule BPAs, an ordering activity must follow the same ordering procedures outlined in FAR 8.405. The end result of following these procedures is that the ordering activity solicits more than three sources and seeks price reductions prior to establishing a GSA Schedule BPA.

If the ordering activity only solicits one source (i.e., a "sole source"), the ordering activity must justify its action in accordance with FAR 8.405-6, Limited Sources Justification and Approval. In establishing a "sole source" BPA, the ordering activity has restricted consideration of the number of contractors to fewer than those prescribed by the Schedule ordering procedures and, therefore, must comply with the limited sources and approval requirements of FAR 8.405-6.

Note: DoD offices and non-DoD activities establishing BPAs for supplies and services on behalf of DoD must comply with the additional requirements under Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 208.405-70.

 

Related Links:

• GSA Pricing Overview
• Catalog of Courses and Schedule of Prices
• Payment Options: SmartPay or Purchase Orders
• Soliciting from a Sole Source Vendor
• Purchasing Thresholds
• Who is Eligible for GSA Pricing?

For More Information

To register by phone or for more information contact an ONLC Advisor weekdays via the chat feature or by calling...

1.800.288.8221

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DoD 8140 Directive - General Information
ONLC provides approved training classes for DoD 8140 Work Roles that are compliant with Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 8140 proficiency levels. Get ready now for a DoD computer certification at any of ONLC centers coast-to-coast or from your own location. More on DoD 8140