Contract Award

Announcing Contract Award and Responsibilities of the Contracting Officer Representative

Professor Victor Villarreal

BUS 501 Government Acquisitions

September 8, 2013

Evaluate the requirements for announcing federal contract awards. Determine how these requirements apply to this scenario

According to Compton, as required by regulation, federal agencies must announce all contract awards of $3.5 million or above to the public, unless agency acquisition regulations mandate a different threshold. When making public announcements regarding contract awards, federal agencies must make it by 5:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on the day of the award. The FAR does not require federal agencies to notify members of Congress about contract awards, agencies do notify the relevant congress people in advance of the agency’s public announcement of the award when a contract will be performed in their state or district (Compton, 2012).

The threshold for notifying members of Congress for the Department of Homeland Security is $1 million and for the Department of Defense threshold is $6.5 million. The threshold contract should require special attention from congress because congress is accountable to their constituents and have a great deal of interest in the economic benefits of contracts awarded to vendors and organizations located in their jurisdictions (Compton, 2012). The announcements of contract awards are made primarily through the newspaper nationwide and federal agencies also announce awards to the local media. Per the FAR 5.303(b):

For awards after sealed bidding, a statement that the contract was awarded competition by sealed bidding, the number of offers solicited and received, and the basis for selection (e.g., the lowest responsible bidder); or

For awards after negotiation, the information prescribed by 15.503(b), and after competitive negotiation (either price or design competition), a statement to this effect, and the general terms the basis for selection....