Do procurement officials set aside a procurement when they see a foreigner bidding?
The possibility of foreign competition is not supposed to be a factor in determining whether a procurement is set aside. In some cases, U.S. small business firms have encouraged contracting officers to use set-aside to create barriers to a Canadian competitor. Savvy U.S. small businesses know perfectly well that this shuts out foreign bidders, and that’s exactly what they intend to do. But a set-aside cannot be made unless the contracting officer expects competition from two or more qualified small business firms. Further, program officials and contracting officers may resist suggestions of small business set-asides for more complex procurements if they do not anticipate getting the best mix of technical competence and cost from small businesses.
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- Do procurement officials set aside a procurement when they see a foreigner bidding?
