48 CFR § 3.603 - 3.603 Responsibilities of the contracting officer.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t48/s3.603"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "48 CFR § 3.603 - 3.603 Responsibilities of the contracting officer."
title_number: 48
title_name: "Federal Acquisition Regulations System"
section_number: "3.603"
section_name: "3.603 Responsibilities of the contracting officer."
chapter_number: 1
chapter_name: "FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "3"
part_name: "IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES AND PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
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."
regulatory_source: "48 FR 42108, Sept. 19, 1983, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "3"
---
# 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 before awarding a contract to an organization owned or substantially owned or controlled by Government employees.