Vendor Verification & Due Diligence
What it does:
Verifies vendor status, certifications, and compliance using SAM.gov, SBA, and other databases.
Use Cases:
- Confirm vendor eligibility and small business status
- Document due diligence for audit trails
- Avoid working with debarred or ineligible vendors
Justification & Approval (J&A) Automation
Defensible, Compliant Justifications for Non-Competitive Acquisitions
Non-competitive procurements—such as sole source, limited competition, or urgent actions—receive the highest level of scrutiny from auditors, legal counsel, and potential protesters. Even when the business case is valid, poorly structured or weakly supported Justification & Approval (J&A) documents can delay awards or expose agencies to protest risk.
ACE’s J&A Automation capability guides users step-by-step through the creation of compliant, defensible J&A documents, aligned with applicable regulatory requirements and approval thresholds.
What This Feature Does
ACE assists contracting professionals by:
- Structuring J&A documents according to FAR, DFARS, and applicable state/local rules
- Guiding users through required justification elements
- Ensuring regulatory citations align with the selected justification authority
- Producing audit-ready narratives suitable for legal and management review
The result is a clear, well-organized justification that supports timely approvals and withstands scrutiny.
Supported Justification Scenarios
ACE supports common non-competitive acquisition authorities, including:
- Only One Responsible Source
- Unusual and Compelling Urgency
- Industrial Mobilization or Expert Services
- Authorized or Required by Statute
- Follow-On Contracts
- Limited Sources Justifications
The system adapts the document structure based on the selected authority and procurement context.
Guided, Step-by-Step J&A Development
Structured Section-by-Section Workflow
ACE walks users through each required J&A section, including:
- Identification of the agency and requirement
- Description of supplies or services
- Justification authority and statutory citation
- Market research summary
- Rationale for limited competition
- Fair and reasonable price determination
- Efforts to increase future competition
This approach ensures no required element is overlooked.
Plain-Language Prompts and Explanations
For less experienced users, ACE:
- Explains what each section is meant to demonstrate
- Provides examples of acceptable justification language
- Flags statements that may raise protest or audit concerns
This makes J&A creation accessible even for new contracting staff.
Built-In Compliance & Approval Awareness
ACE helps ensure that:
- Justification authorities are correctly applied
- Required approvals match the dollar value and authority
- Documentation aligns with legal and policy expectations
It also reminds users where human review and signature are required.
Use Cases
Structure and Justify Non-Competitive Actions
Create clear, logical justifications for sole source, limited competition, or emergency procurements.
Meet Approval and Documentation Requirements
Produce J&A documents that align with regulatory thresholds and approval workflows.
Reduce Protest Risk
Strengthen rationale, eliminate weak language, and document market research and pricing considerations clearly.
Designed for Accountability and Oversight
ACE supports—but does not replace—human judgment:
- Contracting Officers remain responsible for decisions
- Legal counsel review is encouraged and supported
- Management approvals are clearly identified
Disclaimer: Outputs require human expert validation and do not constitute legal advice.
Who This Feature Is For
- Contracting Officers and Specialists
- Acquisition and Procurement Teams
- Legal and Policy Review Staff
- Program Managers and CORs
- State and Local Government Buyers
Confident Justifications, Faster Approvals
With J&A Automation, ACE helps you build clear, compliant, and defensible justifications—reducing delays, minimizing risk, and improving acquisition outcomes.