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To promote competition in subcontracting, the Postal Service publicizes contract awards, competitive or noncompetitive, having significant subcontracting opportunities. Such awards must be publicized in the GPE, which is accessible via the Internet at http://www.fedbizopps.gov. Although a matter of judgment, these awards are normally valued over $500,000 with individual subcontract opportunities over $50,000. Contract awards may also be publicized in newspapers, trade journals, and magazines. Other awards may be publicized when, in the judgment of the purchase/SCM team, such publicizing will benefit future competition. All noncompetitive contract awards valued at $1 million or more must be publicized in the GPE, and other media as appropriate, upon award.
Upon award of a contract, the supplier may request that the Postal Service release a formal communication regarding the relationship. Although such publicity may be beneficial to the supplier, in many cases it may potentially harm other Postal Service supplier relationships. For example, as soon as one supplier is effectively endorsed, it becomes difficult to justify why the Postal Service should not endorse another. As a result, Postal Service employees should not make any comments regarding the Postal Service’s business performance or prospects (e.g., major contracts to be signed, financial outlook) unless carefully coordinated with assigned counsel. Clause B-25: Advertising of Contract Awards, which is incorporated by reference in Clause 4-2: Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Policies, Statutes or Executive Orders, states that a supplier may not imply that the Postal Service endorses its products nor, unless approved by the contracting officer, refer in its public statements and commercial advertising that it has been awarded a Postal Service contract.
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