Procurement term
BPA (Blanket Purchase Agreement)
A simplified US arrangement that fills anticipated recurring needs by pre-establishing terms, against which agencies place repeat orders.
What is BPA?
A Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is a streamlined method of filling anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services. It is not itself a contract that obligates funds; rather, it sets up the terms and conditions — and often pricing — under which an agency will place individual orders ('calls') as needs arise, avoiding repeated solicitations for the same recurring requirement.
There are two common forms. Simplified-acquisition BPAs are established under FAR 13.303 for recurring needs at or below the simplified acquisition threshold. Schedule BPAs are established under FAR 8.405-3 against one or more GSA Multiple Award Schedule contracts, letting an agency lock in further-discounted pricing and tailored terms with Schedule holders. Schedule BPAs can be single- or multiple-award, and the latter introduce order-level competition among the BPA holders.
For vendors, a BPA functions like a standing pre-approval for an agency's recurring spend. Holding a BPA reduces the friction of each individual purchase and signals an established relationship. Because BPAs often layer on top of a GSA Schedule, qualifying for the underlying Schedule is frequently the entry step before pursuing agency-specific BPAs.
Example
An agency sets up a Schedule BPA under FAR 8.405-3 with three office-supply vendors at negotiated discounts off their GSA Schedule prices, then places monthly calls against whichever BPA holder offers the best value.
Related terms
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