Blanket Purchase Agreement

A Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is a simplified method of filling anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services. A BPA establishes a "contract vehicle" whereby a Contracting Officer can routinely purchase supplies or services in a streamlined fashion. However, the BPA by itself is not a contract (See Legal Cases below).

Once the BPA is established, “calls” or "Purchase Orders" are placed to order items off the BPAs.

Legal Cases

In Crewzers Fire Crew Transport, Inc. v. U.S. (Feb. 6, 2014), the Federal Circuit reaffirmed that a blanket purchase agreement is not typically a binding contract on which the contractor can sue. The "mutuality of obligation" was negated in both directions, with the BPA expressly saying the agency was not obligated to make an award under the BPA and that the contractor was not obligated to accept any order proffered by the agency.