(a) The contracting officer shall set aside an individual acquisition or class of acquisitions for competition among small businesses when--
(1) It is determined to be in the interest of maintaining or mobilizing the Nations full productive capacity, war or national defense programs; or
(2) Assuring that a fair proportion of Government contracts in each industry category is placed with small business concerns; and the circumstances described in 19.502-2 or 19.502-3(a) exist.
(b) This requirement does not apply to purchases of $3,500 or less ($20,000 or less for acquisitions as described in 13.201(g)(1)), or purchases from required sources of supply under Part 8 (e.g., Committee for Purchase From People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled, and Federal Supply Schedule contracts). [63 FR 70270, Dec. 18, 1998, as amended at 67 FR 56121, Aug. 30, 2002; 68 FR 4050, Jan. 27, 2003; 69 FR 8314, Feb. 23, 2004; 69 FR 16150, Mar. 26, 2004; 71 FR 57367, Sept. 28, 2006; 80 FR 38298, July 2, 2015]