13.303-6 Review procedures
Source: FAR 13.303-6 on acquisition.gov
Annual reviews and updates of BPAs are mandatory to ensure compliance and responsiveness to market changes.
Overview
FAR 13.303-6 outlines the review procedures required for Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs). It mandates that contracting officers or their designated representatives conduct annual reviews of BPA files to ensure compliance with authorized procedures. The section also requires that each BPA be reviewed and updated at least annually, with attention to changes in market conditions and sources of supply. If another office is authorized to make purchases under a BPA, the responsible agency must ensure these review procedures are followed. This ensures BPAs remain current, compliant, and responsive to market changes.
Key Rules
- Annual Random Sample Review
- Contracting officers or their representatives must review a sufficient random sample of BPA files at least once a year to verify procedural compliance.
- Annual BPA Review and Update
- Each BPA must be reviewed annually and updated if necessary, considering market and supply changes.
- Oversight for Delegated Purchasing Authority
- Agencies must ensure that offices other than the original purchasing office follow the same review procedures when authorized to make purchases under a BPA.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: Conduct annual random sample reviews, ensure annual BPA review and updates, and monitor market changes.
- Contractors: Ensure compliance with BPA procedures as required by the contracting officer.
- Agencies: Oversee compliance when purchase authority is delegated to other offices.
Practical Implications
- This section exists to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of BPAs by ensuring regular oversight and adaptation to market conditions.
- It impacts daily contracting by requiring systematic file reviews and updates, helping prevent procedural lapses and outdated agreements.
- Common pitfalls include neglecting annual reviews, failing to update BPAs, or overlooking changes in market conditions.
(a) The contracting officer placing orders under a BPA, or the designated representative of the contracting officer, shall review a sufficient random sample of the BPA files at least annually to ensure that authorized procedures are being followed.
(b) The contracting officer that entered into the BPA shall-
(1) Ensure that each BPA is reviewed at least annually and, if necessary, updated at that time; and
(2) Maintain awareness of changes in market conditions, sources of supply, and other pertinent factors that may warrant making new arrangements with different suppliers or modifying existing arrangements.
(c) If an office other than the purchasing office that established a BPA is authorized to make purchases under that BPA, the agency that has jurisdiction over the office authorized to make the purchases shall ensure that the procedures in paragraph (a) of this subsection are being followed.