Suspension and Debarment

Within the Office of the Chief Acquisition Officer (V), the Office of Acquisition Integrity (VB) plans, directs, and coordinates GSA’s contractor integrity program, including suspension or debarment of contractors or participants in nonprocurement programs.

GSA’s Suspension and Debarment Official (SDO) is the sole authority for GSA’s suspension or debarment of contractors.  These actions are taken to protect the government against doing business with non-responsible businesses and persons (FAR Subpart 9.4).  The SDO’s “present responsibility” examination generally relates to whether a contractor has acted in a way revealing a lack of business integrity or honesty, an inability to satisfactorily perform government contracts, or whether there is some other serious or compelling cause directly affecting a contractor’s present responsibility.  Suspension or debarment of a person or business results in their name being placed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), a federal governmentwide electronic database operated by GSA.   Entities placed on EPLS are excluded from receiving federal contracts and certain subcontracts, and from participating in certain types of federal assistance programs.  The FAR requires that contracting officials check EPLS after opening of bids or receipt of proposals and again prior to contract award.

REFERENCE

• GSA Acquisition Manual (GSAM)
• Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

RELATED GSA TOPICS

• Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)
• Ida Ustad Award