What constitutes full and open competition?

• A. Competition limited to prime contractors.
• B. No competition is required.
• C. Competition is based on the lowest price alone.
• D. Competition open to all responsible sources capable of meeting the requirements, with fair opportunity to compete.

Answer: (D)

Full and open competition means that in a competitive procurement, all responsible sources capable of meeting the requirements are invited to compete and are given a fair opportunity to submit proposals. This default approach under FAR Part 15 ensures the government can compare offers from a broad pool and select the best value, rather than restricting who can bid or valuing only price. The correct choice captures this by stating competition is open to all capable and responsible sources with a fair chance to compete.

The other options would limit competition or bypass the process: restricting to prime contractors excludes other capable sources; saying no competition is required eliminates the competitive benefits; and awarding based solely on price ignores the need for capable performance and a fair, multi-factor evaluation.