Postal Contracting

The Postal Service, unlike other federal agencies, is not governed by most federal procurement laws. Bedrock government-wide procurement rules, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), do not apply to the Postal Service. Instead, the Postal Service conducts its procurements and administers its contracts under its own rules and culture. Because of these differences, Wickwire Gavin established its Postal Contracting Group. The Group helps postal contractors understand and work effectively within the Postal Service's unique contracting environment. We counsel and assist postal contractors in many areas, including solicitation review, proposal preparation, bid protests, subcontract drafting, contract administration, FOIA requests, contract interpretation, negotiation, equitable adjustments, claim preparation, litigation, terminations, investigations, and audits.


New USPS Purchasing Rules

On May 1, 2006, the Postal Service issued its long-awaited new purchasing policy manual called the "Supplying Principles and Practices" (SPP).  The linked article provides a first look at this new set of purchasing policies, which replaces the Interim Internal Purchasing Guidelines issued May 19, 2005. 

On May 19, 2005, the Postal Service replaced its former purchasing regulations, the USPS Purchasing Manual, Issue 3, with six pages of new regulations and a renamed purchasing manual called the Interim Purchasing Guidelines. Our site contains a wealth of information concerning this development, including USPS's initial draft of the regulations, all of the public comments received concerning this draft, the final regulations, and various articles commenting on this change.

For more information, visit Summary of Changes in USPS's New Purchasing Regulations, or jump to our Summary of Changes in USPS's Interim Internal Purchasing Guidelines.

The balance of the Postal Contracting section of our Web site is organized as follows:

  • Recent Developments - Reporting on key Board and Court decisions, as well as other current developments that could significantly impact postal contractors.
  •  New USPS Purchasing Rules - Provides a summary of the new rules which took effect May 19, 2005 and how they will impact postal contractors.
  • Changes to USPS Purchasing Regulations - In the April 19, 2005, issue of the Federal Register, USPS announced that it is moving ahead with its plan to convert its purchasing regulations into "non-binding" internal policy guidance. In place of the USPS Purchasing Manual, Issue 3, the agency has issued a newly revised version of the 6-page text that, effective May 19, 2005, become the agency's only purchasing regulations. [CLICK HERE to read the Federal Register notice containing the new regulations. Click on the sidebar for more information on these changes.]
  • Top USPS Contracts and Suppliers - Click here for our exclusive collection of annual lists of the Top 150 USPS Suppliers (based on payments received) and the Top 100 Contracts (based on estimated contract value).
  • "Legal Corner" Articles - Wickwire Gavin's David Hendel writes a regular column on postal contracting for The Star Carrier, a monthly newsletter of the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association. With the kind permission of the Star Route Association, click here to read those columns.
  • Seminars - Wickwire Gavin's Postal Contracting Group has developed and delivered exclusive seminars to help postal contractors develop winning relationships with the Postal Service throughout the life of a contract, from procurement and execution to protests and claims. Over the past 13 years, more than 600 postal contractor representatives have attended these seminars. Click here for information on our May 4, 2006, seminar.
  • FAQ - Click here for answers to the most frequently asked questions about contracting with the Postal Service.
  • Tips - The line between success and failure can sometimes be amazingly thin. Click here for some general guidelines on what to do - and just as importantly, what not to do - when interacting with the Postal Service.
  • Attorneys - Click here to learn more about the outstanding attorneys in Wickwire Gavin's Postal Contracting Group.
  • Links - Because there is so much information available about the Postal Service and postal contracting, it is imperative to know the right place to turn for the most appropriate information. Click here for a list of the most important and useful Web sites, along with their descriptions and links.

Contact Us

The Postal Contracting Group is led by David Hendel and Stephen Hurlbut, shareholders in the firm who formerly served in the USPS General Counsel's office. David and Steve enjoy hearing from postal contractors, so please feel free to e-mail them with any questions at:

David Hendel: dhendel@wickwire.com
Steve Hurlbut: shurlbut@wickwire.com

Government Contracting Services

Wickwire Gavin also assists clients in the traditional government contracting arena. We have more than 30 years of experience helping clients work with the unique and complicated series of statutes, regulations, and procedures to maximize contracting opportunities with federal government agencies. To read more about our services in this area, please visit the Government Contracts section of this site.