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DoD, GSA, and NASA are withdrawing the proposed rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) titled:  Small Business Set Asides for Research and Development Contracts.  The decision not to proceed with a final rule was made because of the passage of time since the proposed rule was issued, and input from respondents indicating that the proposed changes were, on balance, unnecessary or unhelpful.  Accordingly, this proposed rule is withdrawn and the FAR case is closed. Consideration of any future amendments to the FAR related to small business set-asides for research and development contracts will be accomplished under a new FAR case.

DoD, GSA, and NASA issued a proposed rule on August 10, 2012 to amend the FAR to clarify that contracting officers shall set-aside acquisitions for research and development, when there is also a reasonable expectation, as a result of market research, that there are small businesses capable of providing the best scientific and technological approaches.