Warrant and Delegation of Procurement Authority

The NIH recognizes the FAC-C and NIH DAC certifications as valid qualifications to be eligible for warrant authority above the micro purchase threshold. All certifications must be maintained/re-certified every two years to retain warrant authority. Holding one or more of these certifications does not automatically grant this authority nor does it require this authority be granted. Warrants are based on organizational/office needs. Your supervisor and/or IC Point of Contract (if applicable) will help an applicant determine if there is a need.

The delegation of procurement authority is the sole responsibility of the NIH Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) and cannot be delegated further. Therefore, this authority can be granted, paused, or rescinded, at will, by the HCA. OALM continuously audits usage and performance of warrant holders and actions to ensure utilization and reduce risk of unused authority. Question about warrant authority at NIH can be sent to [email protected].

Please note that warrants are IC-specific. If you transfer from one IC to another at NIH, you must request a new warrant.

Warrant Application

Warrants at NIH must be signed by the Acting Head of the Contracting Activity, Phillip D. Osborne. Warrant requests are to be sent to the NIH Acquisition Career Program via PDF to: [email protected] and are to include the following items:

Complete Contracting Officer’s Warrant Application Form (Appendix P-1, Fillable PDF Form)
Employee’s current resume or Optional Form 612 describing the employee’s experience, education, and training relevant to the position including the information required by FAR 1.603-2
Most recent Performance Appraisal - first page only with rating
Certificate from FAC-C or NIH DAC certification program
Evidence of completion of mandatory training and CLPs. (40 hours required every two years for Purchasing Agents, 80 hours required every two years for Contract Specialists)
Warrant requests must be reviewed and approved by immediate supervisor and one of the applicable below (this approval can be done via separate memo or email and must be submitted as part of the warrant application package):
- Office of Acquisition (OA): The OA Director for OA employees; or
- Delegated Offices of Acquisition: The second-tier supervisor for the Delegated Acquisition Community.

Warrant Revocation

Warrants issued by the HCA do not have an expiration date. If the FAC or DAC certification supporting the warrant lapses or is revoked, the authority shall be revoked in accordance with OALM processes.

Warrant language on all issued warrants states the warrant is only valid wile serving under the specific IC. When an employee moves to another IC, the warrant authority is automatically revoked.

Delegation of Micro Purchase Authority

Acquisition authority at $10,000 and below can be delegated using Form 2604 or a purchase card. The NIH Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations has more information regarding various simplified acquisition regulations on their website. For purchase card questions, please contact: [email protected].

Resources

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) language on Warrants - see FAR 1.6 Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) guidance on Warrants