The Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (FPI), also referred to as UNICOR, is a self-supporting, wholly owned Government corporation of the District of Columbia. FPI provides training and employment for prisoners confined in Federal penal and correctional institutions through the sale of its supplies and services to Government agencies (18 U.S.C. 4121-4128).
In accordance with FAR 8.002(a) "Priorities for Use of Government Supply Sources"...agencies shall satisfy requirements for supplies and services from or through the sources and publications listed below in descending order of priority --
(1) Supplies.
(i) Agency inventories;
(ii) Excess from other agencies;
(iii) Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (see FAR Subpart 8.6);
(iv) Supplies which are on the Procurement List maintained by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled;
(v) Wholesale supply sources, such as stock programs of the General Services Administration (GSA) (see 41 CFR 101-26.3), the Defense Logistics Agency (see 41 CFR 101-26.6), the Department of Veterans Affairs (see 41 CFR 101-26.704), and military inventory control points;
(vi) Mandatory Federal Supply Schedules;
(vii) Optional use Federal Supply Schedules; and
(viii) Commercial sources (including educational and nonprofit institutions).
(2) Services.
(i) Services which are on the Procurement List maintained by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled;
(ii) Mandatory Federal Supply Schedules;
(iii) Optional use Federal Supply Schedules; and
(iv) Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (see FAR Subpart 8.6), or commercial sources (including educational and nonprofit institutions).
Supplies manufactured and services performed by FPI are listed in the FPI Schedule at http://www.unicor.gov/. Agencies are encouraged to purchase FPI supplies and services to the maximum extent practicable.
