ery time regardless of the "desired" delivery time(s) in the solicitation. For example, some offers comply with the Government's desired delivery time but others cite delivery times which are substantially shorter. The former should be questioned and negotiated to bring them closer in line with the latter. Variable delivery time offers (e.g., 30-90 days) should be negotiated to keep the timespan to a munimum. If the span applies to several items or several quantity breaks for one item, the items or item quantity breaks should be segregated into smaller groups which can be assigned more specific delivery times.

512.102 Factors to consider in establishing schedules.

(a) In addition to the requirements of FAR 12.102, the contracting officer shall, when determining time of delivery or performance, consider the circumstance where lengthy testing is involved and the time for completion of tests cannot be properly estimated.

(b) In making a determination, the contracting officer should also consider use of the contract clauses prescribed by FAR 12.104.

512.103 Supplies or services.

When the contract delivery date is contingent upon the date the contractor received notice of award, one of the following methods, as appropriate, shall be used to provide evidence of the actual date the notice of award was received:

(a) Mail the notice of award using certified mail with return receipt requested (see FAR 12.103(d)).

(b) Hand deliver the notice of award to the contractor (for example by contracting officer quality control repre

(a) The contracting officer may insert one of the time of delivery clauses at 552.212-1, Time of Delivery, in solicitations and contracts, or may develop a clause substantially as shown to set forth a required delivery schedule.

(b) The contracting officer may insert one of time of shipment clauses at 552.212-70, Time of Shipment, in solicitations and contracts, or may develop a clause substantially as shown to set forth a required time of shipment.

(c) The contracting officer shall insert one of the clauses at 552.212-71, Notice of Shipment, in solicitations and contracts, when contractors are required to furnish notice of shipment.

(d) The contracting officer shall insert one of the clauses at 552.212-72, Availability for Inspection and Testing and Shipment/Delivery, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when lengthy testing is involved and the time required for completion of these tests cannot be predetermined.

(e) The contracting officer shall insert one or both of the clauses at 552.212-73, Parts and Services, in solicitations and contracts whenever an AID requisition (P10/c, P10/t, PA/ PR) specifies the need for assembling, servicing, and maintenance of equipment to be performed by the contractor.

(f) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 552.212-74, Non Compliance with Contract Requirements, in solicitations and contracts for construction services when the contract amount is expected to exceed the small purchase limitation.

considered to promote competition to the maximum extent; provided, there is a reasonable expectation of obtaining quotations that will be competitive in terms of market price from two or more of the sources. If the contracting officer determines there is no reasonable expectation of obtaining two or more quotations, additional (more than three) sources should be solicited. If only one response is received, the purchase may be made provided the price is reasonable and the contractor is responsible.

(c) Oral solicitation. Quotations may be solicited orally under the circumstances described in FAR 13.106(b)(2) unless

(1) A service contract, which will include a wage determination issued by the Department of Labor under the Service Contract Act, is involved; or

(2) The proposed acquisition is estimated to be $10,000 and above and must be publicized in the Commerce Business Daily.

(d) Source lists. Contracting activities may supplement small purchase source lists established in accordance with FAR 13.106(b)(4), through the use of trade publications, Thomas Register, and other comparable publications.

(e) Data to support small purchases. (1) When other than the lowest quotation is accepted, the reason(s) for rejecting any lower quotation shall be entered in the purchase case file.

(2) The GSA Form 2010, Small Purchases Tabulation Source List/Abstract, shall be used to document written quotations received and to document oral quotations of $1,000 or more. The form may be used on an optional basis for documenting oral quotations under $1,000. If the GSA Form 2010 is not used, a record shall be maintained to document the following information, as a minimum:

(i) Name and address of the supplier solicited.

(ii) Name of the supplier's representative.

(iii) Prices quoted, including discounts.

(iv) Description of supplies or services for which the quote is provided.

(v) Name of the Government employee soliciting the quotation.

(vi) Date of the conversation.

[49 FR 10819, Mar. 22, 1984, as amended at 50 FR 10044, Mar. 13, 1985]

513.106-70 Unusual and compelling urgency procurements.

When an item or service is needed in a situation of unusual and compelling urgency, competition may be solicited by having prospective sources visit the site and by orally informing them, together, of the exact requirements, to enable the sources to prepare quotations while the written specification is being prepared by the Government for inclusion in the contract. Unusual and compelling urgency, for the purpose of this subsection, includes situations which, if not corrected immediately, will result in unnecessary expenditure of funds, property damage, personal injury, serious loss of agency efficiency in operations, or interruption of agency functions, any of which could be avoided by immediate corrective action.

[50 FR 10044, Mar. 13, 1985]

513.107 Solicitation and evaluation of

quotations.

GSA Form 3188, Request for Quotation, is authorized for use by the Office of Federal Supply and Services with the FSS-19 system instead of the Standard Form 18, Request for Quotations.

[50 FR 10044, Mar. 13, 1985]

Subpart 513.2-Blanket Purchase
Agreements

513.203 Establishment of Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA).

513.203-1 General.

(a) Provisions required. Blanket purchase agreements (BPA's) must be documented on a purchase order form or on a GSA 3521, Blanket Purchase Agreement. In addition to the requirements of FAR 13.203-1(j), each blanket purchase agreement should when appropriate, specify the geographic area to be served under the BPA.

(b) Requesting deliveries. Only the contracting officer (CO) and officials authorized by a CO and designated in the BPA are permitted to request deliveries. Employees designated in the BPA to place orders, who are not warranted contracting officers, may not place orders of $150 or more without first obtaining the approval of a warranted contracting officer. Delivery (call) orders will be made by telephone or in person. The GSA Form 2877, Non-Depot Item Requisition/Order/ Receiving/Payment Record, is authorized for use by the Federal Supply Service in placing orders against BPA's for customer supply center items that are not available from Government supply depots. Before placing calls against the BPA, each requirement must be screened for availability from mandatory sources of supply. Necessary controls must be maintained by the person placing call orders under the BPA to ensure that any limitation stated therein is not exceeded. The BPA identification and requisition number, if any, should be specified each time a delivery is requested.

(c) Delivery or service tickets. Each delivery ticket, in addition to the requirements of FAR 13.203-1(j)(6), must contain the requisition number, if any, and the name of the person placing the call. Upon receipt of items or services ordered, the delivery ticket must be signed and dated by the individual receiving them, and one copy of the delivery ticket provided to the supplier, and one copy retained by the receiving office.

(d) Invoicing. One of the invoicing statements outlined in FAR 13.203(j)(7) must be included in the BPA. If a supplier will not accept a BPA with any of the FAR invoicing statements, the contracting officer is authorized to deviate from FAR 13.203(j)(7) in order to permit the submission and payment of invoices for each delivery under the BPA. Before including such a statement in a BPA, the contracting officer must make every effort to get the supplier to accept one of the FAR invoicing statements. The BPA file should document the contracting officer's efforts and the suppliers refusal to accept the

FAR invoicing statements when the BPA is written to authorize submission and payment of invoices for individual deliveries.

Processing

(e) invoices. Invoices must be time-stamped by the ordering office to indicate the date of receipt. Unless the BPA provides for the accumulation of invoices as outlined in FAR 13.203(j)(7)(iii), the ordering office must forward the invoice to the appropriate Finance Division for payment within 5 workdays of receipt of the invoice or acceptance of the supplies or services, whichever is later. If the BPA provides for accumulation of invoices by the ordering office for a specified period, the ordering office must forward the accumulated invoices to the appropriate Finance Division for payment within 5 workdays after the specified period for accumulation. All invoices should be marked to indicate that purchases were made ? under a BPA.

[51 FR 45893, Dec. 23, 1986, as amended at 51 FR 45896, Dec. 23, 1986]

513.204 Purchases under Blanket Purchase Agreements.

(a) Individual purchases made against BPA's shall not exceed $5,000. (b) Individual purchases under BPA's may exceed the $5,000 threshold in (a) above and the small purchase threshold (FAR 13.101) if the BPA has been established in accordance with FAR 13.203-1(f).

[50 FR 10044, Mar. 13, 1985]

The SF 1164, Claim for Reimbursement for Expenditures on Official Business, or SF 1165, Receipt for Cash-Subvoucher, will serve as the authorized purchase requisition referred to in FAR 13.405(a) for purchases made by offices maintaining their own imprest funds, e.g., Public Building Service Field Offices. Purchase requisitions such as the GSA Form 49, Requisition for Equipment, Supplies or Services, may be used if required by contracting activity directives. If the GSA Form 49 is used, it must be endorsed "Payment to be made from imprest fund."

[51 FR 45894, Dec. 23, 1986]

Supplies and Services, must be used instead of the OF 347, Order for Supplies or Services, when making purchases payable through the National Electronic Accounting and Reporting (NEAR) System. The GSA Form 300 must be prepared and processed in accordance with the instructions at GSAR 553.370-300-I.

(b) The GSA Form 1458, Motor Vehicle Shop Work Order, Repair and Purchase Order, shall be used instead of the OF 347, Order for Supplies or Services, when making purchases in connection with the maintenance, servicing or repair of GSA fleet management vehicles.

(c) The GSA Form 3186, Order for Supplies or Services, shall be used instead of the OF 347, Order for Supplies or Services, when making purchases through the FSS-19 system.

[50 FR 51394, Dec. 17, 1985, as amended at 51 FR 45894, Dec. 23, 1986]

513.505-3 Standard Form 44, Purchase

Order-Invoice-Voucher.

(a) General. Use of the Standard Form 44, Purchase Order-InvoiceVoucher, will not serve the best interest of either the Government or business when the accounting system of the seller requires production of an invoice as a matter of routine. In these cases, whichever of the other authorized methods of making small purchases is most appropriate shall be used. Whenever possible, within the dollar value limitations of each method, preference shall be given to the use of imprest funds and blanket purchase agreements. (See FAR Subpart 13.4 and GSAR Subpart 513.2 of this chapter.)

(b) Authorization for using the form. Where necessary, designated employees may be authorized to make small purchases under $150 using Standard Form 44 in accordance with this subpart. Purchases of $150 or more using SF 44 may be made only by contracting officers.

(c) Issuance of books from stock. Issuance of books of SF 44 from stock shall be made only to contracting directors or to their designees. These officials shall be responsible for the custody and issuance of the books to the

users and shall maintain a simple card record for each book issued.

[49 FR 10819, Mar. 22, 1984, as amended at 51 FR 45894, Dec. 23, 1986]

Subpart 513.70-Certified Invoice Procedure

513.7001 Certified invoice procedure.

(a) When advantageous to the Government, supplies or services may be acquired on the open market from local suppliers at the site of the work or use point using vendors' invoices instead of purchase orders. Certified invoice procedures may not be used to place orders under established contracts unless specific authorization of their use is included in the contract document.

(b) Such purchases shall be effected only in accordance with FAR Part 13 and GSAR Part 513, subject to the following:

(1) The amount of any one purchase is $2,000 or less.

(2) A purchase order is not required by either the supplier or the Government.

(3) Appropriate invoices can be obtained from the supplier.

(c) The items to be purchased shall be domestic source end products, except as provided in FAR Subpart 25.1. For special rules governing purchases of hand and measuring tools and stainless steel flatware see 525.105-70, 525.105-71, and 525.105-72.

(d) Use of the certified invoice procedure does not eliminate the requirements in FAR Part 13 and GSAR Part 513 of this chaper to:

(1) Reserve small purchases for small business in accordance with Pub. L. 95-507, or document the file;

(2) Solicit competitive quotations in accordance with FAR 13.106(a);

(3) Certify that the quality and quantity of items/services furnished are in accordance with the verbal agreement made with the vendor;

(4) Document the record in accordance with FAR 13.106(c) and GSAR 513.106(e).

(e) The solicitation of quotations may be performed by authorized personnel without contracting officer warrants; however, the placement of