17.401 General.
Leader company contracting is an extraordinary acquisition technique that is limited to special circumstances and utilized only when its use is in accordance with agency procedures. A developer or sole producer of a product or system is designated under this acquisition technique to be the leader company, and to furnish assistance and know-how under an approved contract to one or more designated follower companies, so they can become a source of supply. The objectives of this technique are one or more of the following:
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(a) Reduce delivery time.
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(b) Achieve geographic dispersion of suppliers.
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(c) Maximize the use of scarce tooling or special equipment.
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(d) Achieve economies in production.
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(e) Ensure uniformity and reliability in equipment, compatibility or standardization of components, and interchangeability of parts.
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(f) Eliminate problems in the use of proprietary data that cannot be resolved by more satisfactory solutions.
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(g) Facilitate the transition from development to production and to subsequent competitive acquisition of end items or major components.