---
kind: "section"
citation: "41 U.S.C. § 152"
title: "41"
title_heading: "Public Contracts"
number: "152"
heading: "Competitive procedures"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/41/152"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — Federal Procurement Policy"
  - "Division A — General"
  - "Chapter 1 — Definitions"
  - "Subchapter III — Division C Definitions"
---

# §152. Competitive procedures


In division C, the term “competitive procedures” means procedures under which an executive agency enters into a contract pursuant to full and open competition. The term also includes—

- (1) procurement of architectural or engineering services conducted in accordance with [chapter 11](/usc/40/chstI/ch11.md) of title 40;
- (2) the competitive selection of basic research proposals resulting from a general solicitation and the peer review or scientific review (as appropriate) of those proposals;
- (3) the procedures established by the Administrator of General Services for the multiple awards schedule program of the General Services Administration if—
  - (A) participation in the program has been open to all responsible sources; and
  - (B) orders and contracts under those procedures result in the lowest overall cost alternative to meet the needs of the Federal Government;
- (4) procurements conducted in furtherance of section 15 of the Small Business Act ([15 U.S.C. 644](/usc/15/644.md)) as long as all responsible business concerns that are entitled to submit offers for those procurements are permitted to compete; and
- (5) a competitive selection of research proposals resulting from a general solicitation and peer review or scientific review (as appropriate) solicited pursuant to section 9 of that Act ([15 U.S.C. 638](/usc/15/638.md)).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–350, § 3, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3683.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 152 | 41:259(b). | June 30, 1949, ch. 288, § 309(b), as added Pub. L. 98–369, title VII, § 2711(a)(3), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1180; Pub. L. 98–577, § 504(a)(3), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 3086; Pub. L. 105–85, title X, § 1073(g)(1), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1906. |