AbilityOne Program

Eligibility Requirements

• •Must be a qualified nonprofit agency employing people who are blind or severely disabled
• •At least 75% of direct labor hours must be performed by individuals who are blind or severely disabled
• •Products and services must be added to the Procurement List by the AbilityOne Commission
• •Must be designated by one of two Central Nonprofit Agencies: NIB (blind) or SourceAmerica (disabilities)
• •Must comply with AbilityOne program regulations and quality standards

Certification Process

Nonprofit agencies apply through Central Nonprofit Agencies — NIB (National Industries for the Blind) for organizations serving blind individuals, or SourceAmerica for organizations serving people with significant disabilities. Products/services are proposed to the AbilityOne Commission for addition to the Procurement List through a public comment process.

Contracting Benefits

• +Mandatory federal purchase requirement — agencies must buy Procurement List items from AbilityOne
• +Priority over other socioeconomic programs for Procurement List items
• +Over $4 billion in annual federal contracts
• +Base supply center operations at military installations
• +Facilities management, janitorial, food service, and manufacturing contracts
• +Exemption from competitive bidding for Procurement List items