Contract Vehicles
8(a) Sole Source Contract
Agency Sponsor: U.S. Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) Sole Source vehicle enables agencies to engage in direct buy contracts with certified contractors, streamlining and simplifying the acquisition process for Contracting Officers and federal agencies. The FAR (19.805-1 and 13 CFR 124.506) allows any federal agency to award sole source contracts to the SBA on behalf of an eligible 8(a) firm of their choice. Sole source contracts have the following added benefits:
- Contracts awards limited to $4.5M, except acquisitions assigned manufacturing NAICS codes ($7M)
- Allows direct negotiations to clarify scope and budget
- Provides for streamlined process for rapid acquisition
- Recommended vehicle of choice for time-sensitive projects with complex (and sometimes incomplete) requirements.
- Allows agency to meet small business goals
Ordering Period: Sole source orders can be placed through Jul 31, 2025.
Task Order Types: Fixed-Price, Time and Materials, Labor Hour, and hybrid.
Eligibility: This method is available for use by all federal government agencies.
Ordering Procedures: The sole source ordering process is simple and can be accomplished in less than 30 days.
- The Government Program Manager (GPM) develops a statement of work, prepares government cost estimates, and secures funding.
- The GPM selects ESI to perform the work and submits a procurement request to the agency Contracting Officer (CO).
- The CO submits an “Offer Letter” to dcofferletters@sba.gov requesting permission to conduct sole source negotiations with ESI for the designated scope of services.
- The SBA confirms our eligibility and authorizes negotiation, then the CO sends ESI a SOW and Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ).
- ESI submits our proposal to the CO and CPM which is evaluated and negotiated, if necessary, by the agency and the contract is awarded.
Email: contracts@esinc-dc.com