4-1.5 Ordering Agreements and Task Orders

An ordering agreement is a contracting vehicle primarily used for ordering services. It is a written agreement negotiated between the Postal Service and the supplier that contains terms and conditions that apply to future contracts between the parties.

Task orders are principally placed against an ordering agreement. It is the responsibility of the CO to issue the task order; the client will issue task descriptions, as its needs arise; and the supplier will estimate the cost, based on the labor rates and other applicable costs that are established in the ordering agreement. The CO may either accept the estimate of costs and schedule or negotiate with the supplier to reach agreement.