10 U.S.C. § 4954 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 10. Armed Forces § 4954. Cooperative agreements

(a)Authority.--The Secretary, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, may enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(b)Agreements.--Under any such cooperative agreement, the eligible entity shall agree to sponsor programs to furnish procurement technical assistance to business entities and the Secretary shall agree to defray not more than 75 percent of the eligible entity's cost of furnishing such assistance under such programs, except that--

(c)Distribution of programs.--In entering into cooperative agreements under subsection (a), the Secretary shall assure that at least one procurement technical assistance program is carried out in each Department of Defense contract administration services district during each fiscal year.

(d)Weight to be given successful past performance.--In conducting a competition for the award of a cooperative agreement under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give significant weight to successful past performance of eligible entities under a cooperative agreement under this section.

(e)Determination of level of funding.--In determining the level of funding to provide under an agreement under subsection (b), the Secretary shall consider the forecast by the eligible entity of demand for procurement technical assistance, and, in the case of an established program under this chapter, the outlays and receipts of such program during prior years of operation.

(f)Association recognition and duties.--Eligible entities that provide procurement technical assistance pursuant to this chapter may form an association to pursue matters of common concern. If more than a majority of such eligible entities are members of such an association, the Secretary shall--