2511.1 A contracting officer shall use an unpriced purchase order only under the following circumstances:

1. (a) When the transaction will not exceed the small purchase limit set forth in this chapter;
2. (b) When it is impractical to obtain pricing in advance of issuance of the purchase order; and
3. (c) When a purchase is for repairs to equipment requiring disassembly to determine the nature and extent of repairs, material available from only one (1) source and for which cost cannot be readily established, or supplies or services for which prices are known to be competitive but exact prices are not known.

2511.2 A contracting officer shall issue each unpriced purchase order by using a written purchase order form and shall set a realistic dollar ceiling, either for each line item or for the total order. The dollar limitation shall be an obligation subject to adjustment when the firm price is established.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 36 DCR 6681, 6770 (September 22, 1989).