It is only under the task orders that any work actually is performed and payment made. This method creates some troubling issues for contractors.
Nothing prevents an agency from awarding contracts to every offeror that submits a proposal.
Under such a scenario, offerors would not be in a position to protest, because none of them would have been harmed by the agency's selection decision. Once each offeror was awarded a contract, the agency would be free to issue task orders to any contractor it desires. This is because FASA prohibits protests regarding the issuance of task orders. This, in turn, may leave contractors that have not been issued task orders without recourse. Free of Competition Sec.