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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 13: Simplified Acquisition Procedures › Subpart 13.1

FAR 13.104 Promoting competition.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This section requires contracting officers to promote competition as much as practicable when buying supplies and services, so the Government gets the most advantageous offer while considering administrative cost. It limits the use of personal preferences and brand-name restrictions in solicitations. It also describes how to get competition under simplified acquisition procedures, including soliciting multiple sources when the action is not posted to the Governmentwide point of entry.

Applies to: Contracting officers using simplified acquisition procedures

What it requires

  • Promote competition to the maximum extent practicable
  • Do not solicit quotations based on personal preference
  • Do not restrict solicitation to suppliers of well-known and widely distributed makes or brands
  • Consider solicitation of at least three sources when the contract action requires synopsis and no exception applies

Key terms: simplified acquisition procedures · Governmentwide point of entry (GPE) · local trade area · reverse auction · synopsis

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

The contracting officer must promote competition to the maximum extent practicable to obtain supplies and services from the source whose offer is the most advantageous to the Government, considering the administrative cost of the purchase.

(a) The contracting officer must not—

(1) Solicit quotations based on personal preference; or

(2) Restrict solicitation to suppliers of well-known and widely distributed makes or brands.

(b) If using simplified acquisition procedures and not providing access to the notice of proposed contract action and solicitation information through the Governmentwide point of entry (GPE), maximum practicable competition ordinarily can be obtained by soliciting quotations or offers from sources within the local trade area. Unless the contract action requires synopsis pursuant to 5.101 and an exception under 5.202 is not applicable, consider solicitation of at least three sources to promote competition to the maximum extent practicable. Whenever practicable, request quotations or offers from two sources not included in the previous solicitation.

(c) When conducting a reverse auction, see subpart 17.8.

Sections it refers to

  • 5.101 Methods of disseminating information.
  • 5.202 Exceptions.

Sections that refer to it

← 13.103 Use of standing price quotations. · 13.105 Synopsis and posting requirements. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 13

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 13.104 Promoting competition · SpendQuery