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Estimating & Bidding

Sole Source

In Plain English

Awarding a contract to one specific contractor without getting competing bids.

Definition

Sole source procurement is the practice of selecting a contractor or supplier without competitive bidding because only one source exists or is practical for the required product or service. Public agencies must formally justify sole source awards and are typically limited in when they can use this method. Sole source contracts are subject to scrutiny for fairness and cost reasonableness.

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