Adding a Commodity to the Procurement List

Suitability is determined by considering four criteria:

• Employment potential for people with significant disabilities;

• Nonprofit agency qualification;

• Capability of nonprofit agency to meet quality and delivery standards;

• Impact on current or most recent contractor;

Employment Potential:

The proposed addition must demonstrate a potential to generate employment and that an appropriate level of direct labor hours is to be performed by people who are blind or have significant disabilities.

Nonprofit:

The nonprofit agency (or agencies) proposing to furnish the item must qualify as a nonprofit agency serving persons who are blind or have significant disabilities, as set forth in the program’s regulations (41 CFR Part 51-4).

Capability:

The nonprofit agency (or agencies) desiring to furnish a commodity or service under the AbilityOne® Program must satisfy the Commission that it will have the capability to meet government quality standards and delivery schedules by the time it assumes responsibility for supplying the government.

Impact:

The Commission will not find a project as suitable whose addition would have a significant, adverse impact on the current contractor.   In deciding whether or not a proposed addition to the Procurement List is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the current contractor for the specific commodity or service, the Commission gives particular attention to:

• The possible impact on the contractor's total sales, including the sales of affiliated companies and parent corporations. In addition, the Commission considers the effects of previous Commission actions.
• Whether that contractor has been a continuous supplier to the government of the specific commodity or service proposed for addition and is, therefore, more dependent on the income from such sales to the government.
• If there is not a current contract for the commodity or service being proposed for addition to the Procurement List, the Commission may consider the most recent contractor to furnish the item to the government as the current contractor for the purpose of determining the level of impact.