What Is an Approved Source in a Government Contract?
An approved source is a company the government has already qualified to supply a part, usually a spare part for equipment or weapons. A notice limited to approved sources names them, but other responsible sources can usually still offer.
Approved source in plain English
Many Defense Logistics Agency and military notices for spare parts list the approved manufacturers and their part numbers. The government has tested or reviewed those sources, and it buys the part from them unless another source shows it can meet the same standard.
It's a qualification, not a closed door. These notices usually say that all responsible sources may submit an offer, which the agency will consider. A new source generally has to get its part approved first, often through a source approval request with drawings, test data or a sample, and that can take months. FAR Subpart 9.2 covers these qualification requirements.
FedReady's search marks these notices and leaves them out of its count of notices open to bids, so you can tell them apart from work any business can bid on.
Example: a notice for a valve lists two approved manufacturers and their part numbers. A distributor can quote a valve made by one of them. A different maker would need the agency to approve its valve first.
Related terms
- Sole-source contract: A sole-source contract is awarded to one company without competition, which is allowed only in specific cases.
- Solicitation: A solicitation is an agency's official request for bids, quotes or proposals. It describes the work, the terms, how to respond and how offers are judged.
- Nonmanufacturer rule: The nonmanufacturer rule lets a small reseller bid on a set-aside for manufactured goods if it supplies the product of a U.S. small business manufacturer.
Put it to work
- Search open federal opportunities
- How to read a government solicitation
- FAR Subpart 9.2, Qualifications requirements
Looking for another term? Browse the full glossary or the government contracting glossary guide.
Cyrus Hakimi writes and edits these definitions, using AI tools to help research and draft them, from the FAR, SBA rules and SAM.gov documentation. They're general information, not legal advice. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm the numbers on the official source before you act.