FAR 19.811-2—Competitive.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 19.811-2 explains how to prepare and execute a competitive 8(a) contract when the award is being made under the Small Business Administration (SBA) program. It tells the contracting officer to prepare the contract in accordance with FAR 14.408-1(d), but with specific changes to the Standard Form 26 or 1442: the relevant blocks must be asterisked and a continuation sheet must be attached as a tripartite agreement. The section also specifies exactly what information must appear in that tripartite agreement, including the agency contracting activity, prime contract number, agency contracting officer’s name, SBA subcontract number, SBA contracting officer’s name, and signature/date/effective-date lines. Finally, it points the reader to FAR 19.811-1(b)(4) for the signature process. In practice, this section exists to make sure the competitive 8(a) award is documented correctly, clearly identifies both the agency and SBA roles, and is executed in a way that supports the legal structure of the 8(a) program and avoids award-processing errors.
Key Rules
Use FAR 14.408-1(d) format
The contract must be prepared under the procedures in FAR 14.408-1(d), except where this section specifically changes the form and execution requirements. This means the normal contract-preparation framework applies, but the 8(a) competitive award has special documentation requirements.
Asterisk required blocks
Appropriate blocks on Standard Form 26 or 1442 must be asterisked. This signals that those standard form fields are not being used in the ordinary way and directs attention to the special tripartite agreement terms attached to the contract.
Attach tripartite agreement
A continuation sheet must be appended as a tripartite agreement. The attachment is not optional; it is the mechanism that captures the three-party structure involving the agency, SBA, and the 8(a) participant.
Include required agency data
The tripartite agreement must identify the agency contracting activity, the prime contract number, and the name of the agency contracting officer, and it must provide signature, date signed, and effective date lines. These items establish the agency-side identity and execution details of the award.
Include required SBA data
The agreement must also identify the SBA office, the SBA subcontract number, and the name of the SBA contracting officer, with signature and date signed lines. This ensures the SBA’s role is documented and the subcontract relationship is properly tied to the award.
Follow prescribed signature process
The process for obtaining signatures must follow FAR 19.811-1(b)(4). This section does not restate the mechanics, so the contracting officer must use the referenced procedure to complete execution correctly.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Prepare the contract using the FAR 14.408-1(d) framework, asterisk the appropriate SF 26 or 1442 blocks, append the tripartite agreement continuation sheet, and ensure all required agency and SBA information is included. The contracting officer must also follow the signature process in FAR 19.811-1(b)(4).
Agency Contracting Activity
Provide the agency-side contract identification information reflected in the tripartite agreement, including the prime contract number and the agency contracting officer’s name, and participate in execution of the agreement through the required signature process.
SBA Office
Provide the SBA-side identification information, including the SBA subcontract number and the SBA contracting officer’s name, and execute the tripartite agreement through the required signature process.
Agency Contracting Officer
Sign and date the tripartite agreement, and ensure the effective date is properly established as part of the contract execution package.
SBA Contracting Officer
Sign and date the tripartite agreement to confirm SBA participation in the competitive 8(a) award structure.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about getting the paperwork structure right. If the SF 26 or 1442 is not marked correctly or the tripartite agreement is missing required data, the award package may be incomplete or vulnerable to processing delays.
The agency and SBA must both be clearly identified, so contractors and contracting personnel should verify that the prime contract number, SBA subcontract number, and the correct contracting officers are all entered accurately.
The signature process is not left to local practice; it must follow FAR 19.811-1(b)(4). A common pitfall is assuming the normal contract-signing workflow is enough when this section requires a specific procedure.
Because the agreement is tripartite, execution errors can create confusion about who is bound, when the contract becomes effective, and whether SBA participation was properly documented.
For day-to-day administration, this section is a checklist item: confirm the form, attach the continuation sheet, verify all identifiers, and route signatures in the required order before treating the award as fully executed.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) The contract will be prepared in accordance with 14.408-1 (d), except that appropriate blocks on the Standard Form 26 or 1442 will be asterisked and a continuation sheet appended as a tripartite agreement which includes the following: (1) The agency contracting activity, prime contract number, name of agency contracting officer, and lines for signature, date signed, and effective date. (2) The SBA office, the SBA subcontract number, name of the SBA contracting officer and lines for signature and date signed. (b) The process for obtaining signatures shall be as specified in 19.811-1 (b)(4).