Contractors may not need to be registered in SAM when submitting offers for contracts awarded due to unusual urgency or by deployed contracting officers supporting military, diplomatic, or emergency operations overseas.

Contracting officers must consult the Disaster Response Registry via www.sam.gov (Search Records, Advanced Search, Disaster Response Registry Search) to determine contractors’ availability for removing debris, distributing supplies, rebuilding, and any other disaster or emergency relief activities inside the United States and outlying areas.

Contracting officers do not have to publish a notice of proposed contract actions if there's an urgent need and the Government would be harmed by waiting.

Agencies may limit the number of potential offerors and do not have to use full and open competition for urgent needs.

Federal Supply Schedules (FSSs), Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), and Indefinite Delivery Contracts can offer streamlined purchasing, pre-negotiated prices, and terms for rapid responses.

Agencies do not have to buy from FPI if immediate delivery or performance is required due to a public exigency.

The usual notification requirements for changes to AbilityOne specifications are waived in emergencies.

Agencies can choose not to enforce certain qualification requirements during an emergency.

The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) supports prioritizing contracts for national defense, emergency preparedness, and energy programs during a national emergency.

For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, contracting officers can solicit from only one source in certain situations.

Oral Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are allowed under certain conditions.

Letter contracts can be used to start contract work immediately when needed.

Using contracts from other Government agencies is permitted under certain conditions.

Contracts can be directly awarded to—

• The Small Business Administration (SBA) for eligible 8(a) small business concerns;
• Small businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones;
• Eligible Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) concerns; or
• Eligible Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB).

Overtime approvals can be made retroactively if justified by emergency circumstances.

Certain trade agreement rules may not apply to emergency procurements that are not awarded under full and open competition.

The requirement for bid guarantees can be waived for emergency acquisitions when performance bonds are required.

The "no-setoff" provision in contracts can be used to support national defense during national emergencies or natural disasters.

The requirement for electronic payments can be waived to support unusual and compelling needs or emergency acquisitions.

In urgent and compelling situations, the head of the contracting activity can override a Government Accountability Office (GAO) protest to allow the contracting process to continue.

Rental charges may not apply to Government property used in approved Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs under specific conditions.

To make national defense easier under the extraordinary emergency authority granted by Public Law 85-804, agencies can—

• Authorize advance payments to support national defense efforts made at or after award of negotiated and sealed bid contracts (see 32.405.);
• Amend contracts without consideration (see 50.103-2(a));
• Correct or mitigate contract mistakes (see 50.103-2(b)); or
• Formalize informal commitments (see 50.103-2(c)).