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 — Blanket Purchase Agreement
FAR 12.201-1(e)(3)
A commercial Blanket Purchase Agreement, or BPA, may be used to simplify recurring purchases of commercial products or commercial services. Under RFO FAR Part 12, BPAs may be used as part of the simplified commercial acquisition procedures in FAR 12.201-1.
A BPA is not a contract by itself. It is an arrangement that establishes terms for future purchases when the Government has recurring needs but does not know the exact items, quantities, or delivery requirements in advance. Funds are obligated when an authorized purchase is placed under the BPA, not when the BPA is established.
Commercial BPAs can reduce administrative burden, support repeat buying, and allow agencies to establish ordering terms with one or more vendors. Multiple-award BPAs may help preserve competition and reduce reliance on a single source.
Common Applications
- Recurring commercial products and commercial services
- Office supplies and routine equipment
- IT products, software, licenses, and support services
- Training, subscriptions, and digital tools
- Routine maintenance or repair services
- Commercial services with recurring ordering needs
- Other commercial requirements within the applicable FAR 12.201-1 ceiling
Restrictions
- Must be for commercial products or commercial services.
- Must be used within the scope and limits of FAR Part 12 simplified commercial acquisition procedures.
- A BPA is not itself a contract and does not obligate funds until an authorized purchase is placed.
- Requirements may not be divided merely to use a specific threshold or procedure.
- Competition must be promoted to the maximum extent practicable.
Cost-reimbursement contract types may not be used for commercial products or commercial services. - Time-and-materials or labor-hour arrangements may be used only when permitted by FAR 12.104 and the required determination and findings is executed.
- Commercial terms, data rights, software licenses, cybersecurity, accessibility, and agency approval requirements must be addressed when applicable.
Pros |
Cons |
| Simplifies recurring purchases of commercial products or commercial services. | Not appropriate when the agency does not have recurring needs. |
| Reduces administrative burden and procurement lead time for repeat buys. | A BPA is not a contract and does not itself obligate funds. |
| Can establish terms for future purchases before exact quantities or delivery needs are known. | Orders still must comply with applicable competition, funding, and approval requirements. |
| Multiple-award BPAs can preserve competition and reduce reliance on one vendor. | Commercial license terms, data rights, cybersecurity, and other terms may require careful review. |
| Can support efficient ordering for routine commercial needs. | Requirements cannot be split merely to stay within a preferred procedure or threshold. |