(1) PREREQUISITES FOR AWARDING CONTRACT.—Except as provided 
in paragraphs (3) and (4), an executive agency may not award a con-
tract using procedures other than competitive procedures unless— 
(A) the contracting officer for the contract justifies the use of 
those procedures in writing and certifies the accuracy and com-
pleteness of the justification; 
(B) the justification is approved, in the case of a contract for 
an amount— 
(i) exceeding $500,000 but equal to or less than 
$10,000,000, by the advocate for competition for the pro-
curing activity (without further delegation) or by an official 
referred to in clause (ii) or (iii); 
(ii) exceeding $10,000,000 but equal to or less than 
$50,000,000, by the head of the procuring activity or by a 
delegate who, if a member of the armed forces, is a general 
or flag officer or, if a civilian, is serving in a position in which 
the individual is entitled to receive the daily equivalent of the 
maximum annual rate of basic pay payable under section 
5376 of title 5 (or in a comparable or higher position under 
another schedule); or 
(iii) exceeding $50,000,000, by the senior procurement ex-
ecutive of the agency designated pursuant to section 1702(c) 
of this title (without further delegation); and 
(C) any required notice has been published with respect to the 
contract pursuant to section 1708 of this title and the executive 
agency has considered all bids or proposals received in response 
to that notice. 
(2) ELEMENTS OF JUSTIFICATION.—The justification required by 
paragraph (1)(A) shall include— 
(A) a description of the agency’s needs; 
(B) an identification of the statutory exception from the re-
quirement to use competitive procedures and a demonstration, 
based on the proposed contractor’s qualifications or the nature of 
the procurement, of the reasons for using that exception; 
(C) a determination that the anticipated cost will be fair and 
reasonable; 
(D) a description of the market survey conducted or a state-
ment of the reasons a market survey was not conducted; 
(E) a listing of any sources that expressed in writing an interest 
in the procurement; and 
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(F) a statement of any actions the agency may take to remove 
or overcome a barrier to competition before a subsequent procure-
ment for those needs. 
(3) JUSTIFICATION ALLOWED AFTER CONTRACT AWARDED.—In the 
case of a procurement permitted by subsection (a)(2), the justification 
and approval required by paragraph (1) may be made after the con-
tract is awarded. 
(4) JUSTIFICATION NOT REQUIRED.—The justification and approval 
required by paragraph (1) are not required if— 
(A) a statute expressly requires that the procurement be made 
from a specified source; 
(B) the agency’s need is for a brand-name commercial item for 
authorized resale; 
(C) the procurement is permitted by subsection (a)(7); or 
(D) the procurement is conducted under chapter 85 of this title 
or section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)). 
(5) RESTRICTIONS ON EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.— 
(A) CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT OF PROPERTY OR SERV-
ICES.—In no case may an executive agency— 
(i) enter into a contract for property or services using pro-
cedures other than competitive procedures on the basis of the 
lack of advance planning or concerns related to the amount 
available to the agency for procurement functions; or 
(ii) procure property or services from another executive 
agency unless the other executive agency complies fully with 
the requirements of this division in its procurement of the 
property or services. 
(B) ADDITIONAL RESTRICTION.—The restriction set out in sub-
paragraph (A)(ii) is in addition to any other restriction provided 
by law. 
(f) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL REQUIRED 
FOR USING NONCOMPETITIVE PROCEDURES.— 
(1) TIME REQUIREMENT.— 
(A) WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER CONTRACT AWARD.—Except as pro-
vided in subparagraph (B), in the case of a procurement permitted 
by subsection (a), the head of an executive agency shall make pub-
licly available, within 14 days after the award of the contract, the 
documents containing the justification and approval required by 
subsection (e)(1) with respect to the procurement. 
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(B) WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER CONTRACT AWARD.—In the case of 
a procurement permitted by subsection (a)(2), subparagraph (A) 
shall be applied by substituting ‘‘30 days’’ for ‘‘14 days’’. 
(2) AVAILABILITY ON WEBSITES.—The documents referred to in sub-
paragraph (A) of paragraph (1) shall be made available on the website 
of the agency and through a Government-wide website selected by the 
Administrator. 
(3) EXCEPTION TO AVAILABILITY AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENT.— 
This subsection does not require the public availability of information 
that is exempt from public disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5. 
§ 3305. Simplified procedures for small purchases 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—To promote efficiency and economy in contracting 
and to avoid unnecessary burdens for agencies and contractors, the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation shall provide for special simplified procedures for 
purchases of property and services for amounts— 
(1) not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold; and 
(2) greater than the simplified acquisition threshold but not greater 
than $5,000,000 for which the contracting officer reasonably expects, 
based on the nature of the property or services sought and on market 
research, that offers will include only commercial items. 
(b) LEASEHOLD INTERESTS IN REAL PROPERTY.—The Administrator of 
General Services shall prescribe regulations that provide special simplified 
procedures for acquisitions of leasehold interests in real property at rental 
rates that do not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The rental rate 
under a multiyear lease does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold 
if the average annual amount of the rent payable for the period of the lease 
does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON DIVIDING CONTRACTS.—A proposed purchase or 
contract for an amount above the simplified acquisition threshold may not 
be divided into several purchases or contracts for lesser amounts to use the 
simplified procedures required by subsection (a). 
(d) PROMOTION OF COMPETITION.—In using the simplified procedures, 
an executive agency shall promote competition to the maximum extent prac-
ticable. 
(e) COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL ACQUISI-
TION REGULATION.—An executive agency shall comply with the Federal Ac-
quisition Regulation provisions referred to in section 1901(e) of this title. 
§ 3306. Planning and solicitation requirements 
(a) PLANNING AND SPECIFICATIONS.— 
(1) PREPARING FOR PROCUREMENT.—In preparing for the procure-
ment of property or services, an executive agency shall— 
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