10 USC § 3012 - Competitive procedures

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s3012"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 3012 - Competitive procedures"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "3012"
section_name: "Competitive procedures"
chapter_number: 201
chapter_name: "DEFINITIONS"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "DEFINITIONS APPLICABLE TO PROCUREMENT GENERALLY"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "ACQUISITION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1806(b)(1), (3), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4153; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, § 812(a)(3), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 951.)"
---


# § 3012. Competitive procedures

In this part, the term “competitive procedures” means procedures under which the head of an agency enters into a contract pursuant to full and open competition. Such term also includes—

**(1)** procurement of architectural or engineering services conducted in accordance with chapter 11 of title 40;

**(2)** the competitive selection for award of science and technology proposals resulting from a general solicitation and the peer review or scientific review (as appropriate) of such proposals;

**(3)** the procedures established by the Administrator of General Services for the multiple award 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 such program result in the best value to meet the needs of the United States;

**(4)** procurements conducted in furtherance of section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) as long as all responsible business concerns that are entitled to submit offers for such 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 the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638).

---

**Source Credit**: (Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1806(b)(1), (3), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4153; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, § 812(a)(3), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 951.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

The text of par. (2) of , which was transferred to this section and amended by , was based on , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , .

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 3012 was renumbered .

Another prior section 3012 was renumbered  and subsequently repealed.

### Amendments

2025—Par. (3)(B).  substituted “best value” for “lowest overall cost alternative”.

2021—, transferred par. (2) of  to this section, realigned margin, struck out par. (2) designation at beginning, substituted “In this part, the term” for “The term” in introductory provisions, redesignated subpars. (A) to (E) as pars. (1) to (5), respectively, and, in par. (3), redesignated cls. (i) and (ii) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section and amendment by  effective , with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see , set out as an Effective Date of 2021 Amendment note preceding .