In accordance with this section, a contracting officer may award a sole source contract to any small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans if—

(1) such concern is determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance of such contract opportunity and the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that 2 or more small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans will submit offers for the contracting opportunity;

the anticipated award price of the contract (including options) will not exceed—

(A) $5,000,000, in the case of a contract opportunity assigned a standard industrial classification code for manufacturing; or

(B) $3,000,000, in the case of any other contract opportunity; and

(3) in the estimation of the contracting officer, the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price.

In accordance with this section, a contracting officer may award contracts on the basis of competition restricted to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans if the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that not less than 2 small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans will submit offers and that the award can be made at a fair market price.

A procurement may not be made from a source on the basis of a preference provided under subsection (a) or (b) if the procurement would otherwise be made from a different source under section 4124 or 4125 of title 18 or chapter 85 of title 41.

Rules similar to the rules of paragraphs (5) and (6) of section 637(m) of this title shall apply for purposes of this section.

For purposes of this section, the term “contracting officer” has the meaning given such term in section 2101(1) of title 41.

(Pub. L. 85–536, § 2[36], as added Pub. L. 108–183, title III, § 308, Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2662.)