FAR 6.5—Subpart 6.5

Requirement.

FAR 6.501 implements the statutory requirement in 41 U.S.C. 1705 for each executive agency to designate an advocate for competition at both the agency level and for each procuring activity. This section addresses who must be designated, where those advocates must sit in the organization, what duties they may not be given, and the support they must receive to do the job effectively. In practice, it is an organizational accountability rule: agencies must create a visible, independent competition advocate function that can promote full and open competition and identify barriers to competition without being conflicted by unrelated responsibilities. The section matters because competition advocacy is not just a policy preference; it is a required management function tied to acquisition oversight, market access, and procurement planning. It also signals that the advocate must have enough organizational standing and resources to influence acquisition decisions and improve competition outcomes across the agency and its procuring activities.

Duties and responsibilities.

FAR 6.502 explains the duties and responsibilities of agency and procuring activity advocates for competition. It is designed to make competition an active management responsibility, not just a contracting-office formality, by requiring these advocates to promote the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services, promote full and open competition, and challenge requirements or contract terms that unnecessarily limit competition. The section also requires them to identify and report barriers to commercial-item buying and competition, review agency contracting operations, and prepare annual reports to senior acquisition leadership. In addition, it calls for recommendations on fiscal-year competition goals, plans, and accountability systems, including possible recognition and awards to encourage competition-minded behavior. Practically, this section matters because it ties competition policy to agency oversight, reporting, and leadership accountability, and it specifically highlights planning and compliance for task and delivery orders over $1.5 million under multiple-award contracts.