---
kind: "section"
citation: "48 C.F.R. § 3.603"
title: "48"
number: "3.603"
heading: "Responsibilities of the contracting officer."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/48/3.603"
---

# §3.603. Responsibilities of the contracting officer.

- (a) Before awarding a contract, the contracting officer shall obtain an authorization under 3.602 if—
  - (1) The contracting officer knows, or has reason to believe, that a prospective contractor is one to which award is otherwise prohibited under 3.601; and
  - (2) **There is a most compelling reason to make an award to that prospective contractor.**
- (b) The contracting officer shall comply with the requirements and guidance in [subpart 9.5](/cfr/48/subpart9.5.md) before awarding a contract to an organization owned or substantially owned or controlled by Government employees.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1121(b); 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 4 and 10 U.S.C. chapter 137 legacy provisions (see 10 U.S.C. 3016); and 51 U.S.C. 20113.

### Source

Source: 48 FR 42108, Sept. 19, 1983, unless otherwise noted.