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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 6: Competition Requirements › Subpart 6.2

FAR 6.202 Establishing or maintaining alternative sources.

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 allows agencies to exclude a source from a contract to establish or maintain alternative sources, if the agency head determines it would meet certain conditions like increasing competition or ensuring supply availability. For contractors, it means you could be excluded from a competition for these reasons, but the agency must document its decision with a determination and findings.

Applies to: Agencies excluding a source from a contract action to establish or maintain alternative sources

What it requires

  • Support every proposed contract action under this authority with a determination and findings signed by the agency head or designee
  • Do not make the determination and findings on a class basis
  • Provide all necessary data to support a recommendation to exclude a particular source
  • When citing the authority for reduced overall costs, include a description of the estimated reduction and how the estimate was derived

Key terms: alternative sources · determination and findings · class basis · technical and requirements personnel · overall costs

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

The text

(a) Agencies may exclude a particular source from a contract action in order to establish or maintain an alternative source or sources for the supplies or services being acquired if the agency head determines that to do so would—

(1) Increase or maintain competition and likely result in reduced overall costs for the acquisition, or for any anticipated acquisition;

(2) Be in the interest of national defense in having a facility (or a producer, manufacturer, or other supplier) available for furnishing the supplies or services in case of a national emergency or industrial mobilization;

(3) Be in the interest of national defense in establishing or maintaining an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center;

(4) Ensure the continuous availability of a reliable source of supplies or services;

(5) Satisfy projected needs based on a history of high demand; or

(6) Satisfy a critical need for medical, safety, or emergency supplies.

(b)(1) Every proposed contract action under the authority of paragraph (a) of this section shall be supported by a determination and findings (D&F) (see subpart 1.7) signed by the head of the agency or designee. This D&F shall not be made on a class basis.

(2) Technical and requirements personnel are responsible for providing all necessary data to support their recommendation to exclude a particular source.

(3) When the authority in (a)(1) of this section is cited, the findings shall include a description of the estimated reduction in overall costs and how the estimate was derived.

Sections that refer to it

  • 218.203 Emergency declaration or major disaster declaration.

← 6.201 Policy. · 6.203 Set-asides for small business concerns. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 6

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

FAR 6.202 Establishing or maintaining alternative sources · SpendQuery