When more than one vendor is capable of meeting your requirements and specifications; however, only one is available to meet the specific criteria. Situations for single sourcing would be:
- where an unforeseeable situation of urgency exists and the goods or services cannot be obtained in time by means of open procurement procedures; Failure to plan and allow sufficient time for a competitive procurement process does not constitute an unforeseeable situation of urgency
- where goods or services regarding matters of a confidential or privileged nature are to be purchased and the disclosure of those matters through an open tendering process could reasonably be expected to compromise government confidentiality, cause economic disruption or otherwise be contrary to the public interest
- where a contract is to be awarded under a cooperation agreement that is financed, in whole or in part, by an international cooperation organization, only to the extent that the agreement between the entity and the organization includes rules for awarding contracts that differ from the obligations set out in the Directive (PDF)
- where construction materials are to be purchased and it can be demonstrated that transportation costs or technical considerations impose geographic limits on the available supply base, specifically in the case of sand, stone, gravel, asphalt,
compound and pre-mixed concrete for use in the construction or repair of roads - where compliance with the open tendering provisions set out in the Directive (PDF) would interfere with the entities’ ability to maintain
security or order or to protect human, animal or plant life or health - in the absence of a receipt of any bids in response to a call for proposals or tenders made in accordance with the Directive (PDF)