Procurement Methods
Full and Open Competition (F&O)
A federal procurement competed without restriction — any responsible offeror may submit a proposal.
Definition
Defined in FAR Part 6, full-and-open competition is the default federal procurement method when the procurement is not set aside for small business or other categories. All responsible firms can submit offers. Set-asides (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, etc.) and sole-source awards are exceptions that require justification.
When it applies
Many large federal procurements (DoD systems, major IT acquisitions) are run as full-and-open because no single small-business category can deliver the requirement. Small businesses can still compete and benefit from a 10% HUBZone evaluation preference if HUBZone-certified.