While digging through the FAR, I found something that might be useful to our readers. One of our clients provides something for which there is a shortage of supply at DLA. Most of the business goes to an incumbent contractor who cannot keep up with the demand from the military.
The military is growing increasingly concerned with maintaining the supply base, and has taken steps to help more companies compete for in-demand items. For items were there may be a supply shortage due to a single company dominating the market, one might be able to convince the buyer to omit that company from a solicitation.
6.202 Establishing or maintaining alternative sources.
(a) Agencies may exclude a particular source from a contract action in order to establish or maintain an alternative source or sources for the supplies or services being acquired if the agency head determines that to do so would:
(1) Increase or maintain competition and likely result in reduced overall costs for the acquisition, or for any anticipated acquisition;
(2) Be in the interest of national defense in having a facility (or a producer, manufacturer, or other supplier) available for furnishing the supplies or services in case of a national emergency or industrial mobilization;
(3) Be in the interest of national defense in establishing or maintaining an essential engineering, research, or development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center;
(4) Ensure the continuous availability of a reliable source of supplies or services;
(5) Satisfy projected needs based on a history of high demand; or
(6) Satisfy a critical need for medical, safety, or emergency supplies.
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