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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 9: Contractor Qualifications › Subpart 9.2

FAR 9.206-3 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 tells the contracting officer how to handle competition when a qualification requirement applies to an acquisition. Before issuing a solicitation, the officer must check the relevant QPL, QML, or QBL to see if enough qualified sources exist, and if not, ask the establishing activity about upcoming qualifications or alternative testing. After the solicitation, the officer must forward names of interested but unqualified concerns to that activity for assistance.

Applies to: Contracting officers handling acquisitions subject to a qualification requirement

What it requires

  • Review the applicable QPL, QML, or QBL or other identification of qualified sources before issuing a solicitation to check if the number of sources is adequate for competition
  • If the number of sources is inadequate, request the agency activity that established the requirement to indicate the anticipated date when sources under evaluation will qualify or whether a means other than the qualification requirement is feasible
  • After the solicitation, submit to the establishing agency activity the names and addresses of interested concerns not on the QPL, QML, or QBL or identified as meeting the requirement

Key terms: qualification requirement · QPL · QML · QBL · presolicitation

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

The text

(a) Presolicitation. If a qualification requirement applies to an acquisition, the contracting officer shall review the applicable QPL, QML, or QBL or other identification of those sources which have met the requirement before issuing a solicitation to ascertain whether the number of sources is adequate for competition. (See 9.204(a) for duties of the agency activity responsible for establishment of the qualification requirement.) If the number of sources is inadequate, the contracting officer shall request the agency activity which established the requirement to—

(1) Indicate the anticipated date on which any sources presently undergoing evaluation will have demonstrated their abilities to meet the qualification requirement so that the solicitation could be rescheduled to allow as many additional sources as possible to qualify; or

(2) Indicate whether a means other than the qualification requirement is feasible for testing or demonstrating quality assurance.

(b) Postsolicitation. The contracting officer shall submit to the agency activity which established the qualification requirement the names and addresses of concerns which expressed interest in the acquisition but are not included on the applicable QPL, QML, or QBL or identified as meeting the qualification requirement. The activity will then assist interested concerns in meeting the standards specified for qualification (see 9.202(a) (2) and (4)).

Sections it refers to

  • 9.204 Responsibilities for establishment of a qualification requirement.
  • 9.202 Policy.

← 9.206-2 Contract clause. · 9.207 Changes in status regarding qualification requirements. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 9

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

FAR 9.206-3 Competition · SpendQuery