What is a sole source contract?
The short answer is that a sole source also known as a direct award contract, is something unique in the federal marketplace that allows a company to be awarded a contract without going through the competitive bidding process.
Our clients have won over 3.5 billion dollars in federal contracts in just the last 5 years as a direct result of our work. What I am going to tell you is based in reality, it is not theory!
I am speaking to you NOT as a lawyer, but as a business development expert. What I am telling you is factual, and you can find specific references to these non-competitive awards in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, also known as FAR which can be found at www.acquisition.gov
If you offer a totally unique product or service, you have the opportunity to pursue a sole source contract based upon that issue of uniqueness. This is true for all types and sizes of business: large, medium or small.
The caveat is that the product or service must truly be unique, and not just slightly different. If you need help determining if you offer such a product or service, please do contact us.
However, the other types of sole source contracts are based upon the Small Business Socio-economic Set-asides. These are:
- 8a
- SDVOSB
- HUBZone
- WOSB/EDWOSB
For all of these programs, there are slight or even major differences. But let me first tell you the similarities:
All:
- $4M limit services
- Or $6.5 M Manufacturing
All must incorporate all of the layers of federal government decision-makers:
- Small Business
- Contracting & Acquisition
- Program Management
Do you prefer a video? Let us know if you have seen success in the sole source world!