United States Department of Agriculture
Information

Acquisition Tools

Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Presidential Executive Orders require the purchasing of biobased products by federal agencies. Federal contractors are also required to purchase biobased products per the Federal Acquisition Regulation including the clause 52.223-2, Affirmative Procurement of Biobased Products under Service and Construction Contracts.

Contractor Reporting Tools

Biobased Quick Reference Guide for Contracting Officers
Provides a quick check off list for including biobased purchasing requirements in solicitations and contracts, including contractor reporting requirements.

  • Biobased Quick Reference Guide - PDF (82Kb)
  • Sample: Section C: Description/Specifications/Statement of Work - PDF (796Kb)

Procurement Advisory 82A USDA BioPreferred Program - Designated Biobased Items for Contract Requirements
The purpose of this Procurement Advisory is communicate the processes to comply with and support the federal BioPreferred program requirements, including specific roles and responsibilities.

  • Procurement Advisory 82A PDF (25Kb)

Sample Letter to Vendors about Contractor Reporting of Biobased Product Purchases
This letter, send to all active USDA Contractors, informs Contractors of their responsibilities for reporting their biobased product purchases.

  • Letter to Vendors on Biobased Reporting Requirements PDF (699Kb)

Contract Samples

The following contract samples provide model biobased product purchase language for solicitations and contracts. Sample Biobased Contract Language for:

  • Food Services/Cafeteria - PDF (60Kb)
  • Vehicle Maintenance - PDF (61Kb)
  • Minor Construction - PDF (61Kb)
  • Operations and Maintenance - PDF (64Kb)

Examples of Model Biobased Contracts

Provides examples of actual federal contracts containing appropriate biobased clauses.

Contracts with Biobased Clauses and Requirements

Agency Acquisition Tools

The following are some sources of agency-specific biobased purchasing information.

  • The GSA Sustainable Facilities Tool offers an ability to determine the federal requirements for different types of products. For example, if you are searching for animal repellants, this tool will indicate that "animal repellants" should be 97% biobased.
  • The DoD Sustainable Products Center integrates information on sustainable products and serves as DoD's informational repository for these products and their respective performances. The Sustainable Products Center includes biobased products.