Contracting Cone
FAR Based Strategies
Ordering under the Federal Supply Schedule
Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services
Simplified Procedures for Noncommercial Acquisitions
Contracting by Negotiation
Indefinite-Delivery Contracts
Letter Contracts
Agreements
Small Business
Broad Agency Announcement
Commercial Solutions Opening
Statutory Strategies
SBIR/STTR Programs
Other Transactions
Procurement for Experiments
R&D Agreements
Cooperative R&D Agreement
Partnership Intermediary Agreement
Technology Investment Agreement
Contract Type Matrix
Commercial — Micro-Purchase
FAR Subpart 12.4
A commercial micro-purchase is a purchase of commercial products or commercial services valued at or below the micro-purchase threshold. Under the RFO structure, micro-purchases for commercial products and commercial services are addressed at FAR Subpart 12.4.
Micro-purchases are intended to be simple, low-dollar purchases that reduce administrative burden and allow agencies to buy needed commercial products and commercial services efficiently. They are commonly made using the Governmentwide commercial purchase card when authorized by agency procedures.
Micro-purchases do not require written provisions or clauses. However, paragraph (s), Unauthorized Obligations, of FAR 52.212-4, automatically applies to any micro-purchase, including those made with the Governmentwide commercial purchase card. FAR Subpart 12.4 also states that micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotations if the price is considered reasonable.
Common Applications
- Commercial products and commercial services
- Office supplies and routine equipment
- Low-dollar IT products and accessories
- Training materials and subscriptions
- Minor repair parts
- Routine services within the micro-purchase threshold
- Software, licenses, or digital tools when permitted by agency policy
Restrictions
- Must be at or below the applicable micro-purchase threshold.
- Requirements may not be split to avoid a higher-level acquisition procedure or threshold.
- Must comply with agency purchase card procedures and any applicable funding, ethics, supply source, cybersecurity, accessibility, or IT approval requirements.
- The purchase must comply with any applicable required sources or priority sources.
- Micro-purchases do not require written provisions or clauses, but paragraph (s), Unauthorized Obligations, of FAR 52.212-4 automatically applies.
- Security prohibitions and exclusions at FAR Subpart 40.2 apply to micro-purchases unless an exception applies or waiver is granted.
Pros |
Cons |
| Fastest and simplest method for acquiring low-dollar commercial needs. | Limited to purchases at or below the micro-purchase threshold. |
| Reduces administrative burden and procurement lead time. | Not suitable for complex, high-risk, recurring, or higher-dollar requirements. |
| Governmentwide commercial purchase card use can streamline ordering and payment. | Purchase card holders must still comply with funding, agency, IT, cybersecurity, and approval rules. |
| Minimal clause and documentation requirements. | Requirements cannot be split to stay under the threshold. |
| May be awarded without soliciting competitive quotations if the price is considered reasonable. | Limited documentation can increase risk if the purchase is not well controlled. |