What Is a QPL Part, and How Do You Find a Qualified Source?
A qualified products list (QPL) names products that a government qualifying activity has examined, tested and approved against a specification before any contract is placed. When the specification requires qualification, only the listed product from the listed manufacturer qualifies. DLA's Qualified Products Database (QPD), reached through ASSIST, is the official list.
Updated
What does qualification mean?
Qualification is testing done ahead of time and independent of any one purchase, so buyers do not have to re-prove a part every time they order it. The Defense Standardization Program's SD-6, Provisions Governing Qualification (August 2019 edition), defines it as a process, in advance of and independent of an acquisition, by which a manufacturer's capabilities or products are examined, tested and found to conform to specification requirements, then approved for listing.
FAR subpart 9.2 sets the same principle for contracting: qualification is generally performed in advance and independently of a specific acquisition, and agencies must keep the lists open to new sources that want to demonstrate qualification.
Just as important is what qualification does not do. SD-6 says a listing does not relieve the supplier of its contractual obligation to deliver items meeting every specification requirement, does not guarantee acceptance under a contract, and does not waive inspection or quality control requirements. A QPL part still gets inspected at receiving.
What is the difference between a QPL, a QML and a QBL?
A QPL qualifies specific products. A QML qualifies a manufacturer's materials and processes. A QBL qualifies bidders. Which one applies is set by the governing specification or solicitation, not by the buyer.
| List | What is qualified | Where it fits, per SD-6 and FAR 9.201 | What the buyer checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| QPL, qualified products list | Specific products or families of products that completed formal qualification, including any periodic tests | Items with a stable design that will be available for a long time, so testing individual products is practical | The exact product designation and manufacturer, and often the plant, are on the list |
| QML, qualified manufacturers list | A manufacturer's qualified processes and materials at each facility, proven with worst case test vehicles | Items with rapid technology change or many custom variations, such as hybrid microcircuits and printed wiring boards | The manufacturer and facility are listed for the process or technology the part uses |
| QBL, qualified bidders list | Bidders whose products were examined and tested and met the requirements | Defined in FAR 9.201 for acquisitions that use it | The offeror is on the list for that requirement |
Microcircuits are the most common QML case buyers meet. Our EEE parts grades page explains the QML classes for microcircuits and hybrids if you are working an electronics parts list.
Have a part like this?Send it in under a minute. A person replies within 1 business day.How do you look up qualified sources in the QPD?
Search the Qualified Products Database by the governing specification or by the QPL number. SD-6 says the QPD is accessed through ASSIST at assist.dla.mil and that only the electronic QPLs and QMLs in the QPD are the official source for qualified products and manufacturers.
- Search by specification, for example the MIL-PRF or MIL-DTL number on your drawing, or by the QPL designation if you have it. The QPD help pages give both approaches, and describe the search as read-only.
- Read the whole listing line: product or part designation, manufacturer, plant location and CAGE, and the qualification reference. SD-6 notes that the plant's CAGE code is part of what an authorized distributor must disclose, so it is worth recording.
- Check the date you looked. Listings change, so save a copy or note of the record with your purchase file.
If you cannot find a list, the specification may have been canceled or revised to drop the qualification requirement. The QPD help pages say that data for canceled or revised specifications is archived offline and is not available to general users, and they advise checking the governing specification in ASSIST. DoD began moving from paper and PDF QPLs to the online QPD in April 2006, so older drawings may cite a QPL revision that no longer exists as a document.
When does a drawing or spec require a QPL source?
When the governing specification contains a qualification requirement. You will find it near the start of section 3 of a defense specification, in wording that says the items furnished under the specification shall be products authorized by the qualifying activity for listing on the applicable QPL before contract award. MIL-STD-961E, the DoD standard for specification format, prescribes that wording, and a parallel version for QML manufacturers.
Section 6 of the same specification then names the qualifying activity and points to the QPD for the online listing. If your drawing calls out a part number from a specification with that requirement, the requirement comes with it, whether or not the drawing repeats it.
On government contracts, FAR 9.206-1 tells contracting officers to consider only offers that are identified as meeting the qualification requirement, with a narrow exception for an offeror that can show it will meet the standards before award, and FAR clause 52.209-1 goes into those solicitations. If you are a prime or sub, flow the requirement to your supplier in writing rather than assuming they read section 3.
Can a distributor sell you a QPL part?
Yes, and SD-6 spells out what the distributor has to tell you. An authorized distributor offering a qualified product must state the name of the actual manufacturer, the address and CAGE code of the plant where it was made, the brand designation and the qualification test reference, and must certify the product has not been added to or changed and is the listed manufacturer's product.
SD-6 also covers rebranding. A distributor can be listed under its own brand only when the manufacturer certifies the distributor is authorized to rebrand, and the original manufacturer's identification, or a code symbol for it, stays on the part so it can be traced for failure analysis and corrective action. A distributor that cannot name the plant, or whose brand does not appear on the QPD, is not offering you a qualified product. The guide to buying from AS9120 distributors covers the wider question of distributor types and paperwork.
Is a QPL listing permanent?
No. Listings have to be retained, and SD-6 sets the default cycle. Unless the specification sets its own retention requirement, every two years the qualifying activity asks the manufacturer to complete DD Form 1718, Certification of Qualified Products, or an equivalent questionnaire.
That form asks whether the product is still made at the listed plant, under the same management, with the same process, materials, construction, design and part number, whether it meets the latest issue of the specification, whether anything changed since qualification, and whether the company's CAGE information in SAM is current. The qualifying activity can also require new test data or full requalification, and must require reexamination when the product or the specification changes enough to put the old qualification in doubt.
What happens when a source loses qualification?
The qualifying activity removes the product, process or manufacturer from the list, and parts made after that are no longer qualified product. SD-6 lists the circumstances that can lead to removal, including product that does not meet the specification, discontinued manufacture, an unreported change in design, materials, process or plant, failure to meet retention requirements, quality or reliability problems, and refusing an audit.
- Removal is effective on the date of the written notice unless the notice says otherwise.
- Manufacturers agree when they apply that they will notify their customers and distributors within 3 working days of being removed.
- When the government decides others should know, it can publish the removal through a GIDEP Alert or Problem Advisory, trade publications or other channels.
- For removals tied to certain causes, the product can be returned to the list once the deficiencies are corrected to the government's satisfaction.
When a suspected nonconformance is reported, SD-6 says the qualifying activity will suspend the manufacturer from further shipping the suspected product while it assesses the risk. For a buyer, that means checking the QPD at order and again before accepting stock, watching GIDEP if you have access, and quarantining inventory from a removed source until your engineering authority decides what to do with it. If a specification itself goes inactive for new design, MIL-STD-961E says any associated QPL is maintained until the product is no longer needed, then both are canceled.
What should a PO for a QPL part include?
Name the specification, the part designation and the requirement that it be QPL product, then ask for the evidence. A short list that receiving can check:
- Specification number and revision, and the full part designation.
- A statement that product must be listed on the applicable QPL or made by a QML-listed manufacturer at the time of shipment.
- Manufacturer name and plant CAGE, or a requirement that the supplier state them, in line with SD-6.
- Certificate of conformance naming the manufacturer, lot or date code, and the qualification reference. See what a CoC must show.
- Lot traceability back to the manufacturer when buying through distribution, and the clauses your contract requires, such as DFARS 252.246-7008 for electronic parts.
Fastener, connector, seal and electronic part families are where QPL requirements show up most. See fasteners, electrical connectors and wire and seals and fluid parts for family specific notes.
How do we source QPL parts?
We check the QPD before we source and buy only from the listed manufacturer or its authorized and franchised distributors. We do not hold inventory, publish prices or claim to be an authorized distributor for anyone.
We flow the qualification requirement and your clauses down in writing, ask the source to state manufacturer and plant, and check the certs against the listing and your PO before shipment. QPL hardware can go on the same PO as machined or fabricated parts, or into kits. If a listed source has been removed or the part is no longer made, we treat it as an obsolete search under counterfeit avoidance controls and tell you what you would be getting before you decide, as described on our obsolete parts page. Definitions of QPL, QPD and related terms are in the glossary.
Send us the spec and part designation
Send the specification, part designation, quantity, need date and any clauses through the hardware request form. Including the specification lets us confirm the qualification requirement and the listed sources before anything is ordered. A person replies within 1 business day, and every order ships with a certificate of conformance plus the traceability your request requires. For export controlled drawings, see controlled programs first.
Send the job. A person replies within 1 business day.
Part, quantity and date are enough to start. Drawings and the mutual NDA follow by reply, and controlled programs never send technical data through this site.
We have it.
Reference . A person replies within 1 business day. Watch for our email from [email protected].
Questions
Is a QPL part the same as a mil-spec part?
Not always. A mil-spec part is any part made to a military specification. A QPL part is one where that specification requires qualification and the specific product is listed on the QPL. Many military specifications have no qualification requirement at all, and any part that meets every requirement can conform. Check section 3 of the governing specification for a qualification paragraph to know which case you are in.
What is the difference between QPL and QML?
A QPL lists specific qualified products. A QML lists manufacturers whose materials and processes at a facility have been qualified, usually with worst case test vehicles. SD-6 says QMLs suit items with fast technology change or many custom variations, such as hybrid microcircuits and printed wiring boards, where qualifying every individual product would be impractical. The governing specification tells you which one applies.
Where is the official list of qualified products?
In DLA's Qualified Products Database, the QPD, which SD-6 says is accessed through ASSIST at assist.dla.mil. SD-6 states that only the electronic QPLs and QMLs in the QPD are the official source for qualified products and manufacturers. Paper QPLs and old PDF copies are not authoritative, so check the QPD itself rather than a list a supplier sends you.
How often are QPL listings re-verified?
Unless the specification sets its own retention requirement, SD-6 has the qualifying activity ask the manufacturer every two years to complete DD Form 1718 or an equivalent questionnaire. The form confirms the plant, management, process, materials, design and part number are unchanged and that the product meets the latest specification issue. The qualifying activity can also demand new test data or requalification when something changes.
What should I do if my supplier is removed from a QPL?
Stop placing new orders for that source's product as qualified product, check whether stock you hold or have on order was made before removal, and quarantine it until your engineering authority decides. Ask the manufacturer for its removal notice, since SD-6 commits listed manufacturers to notify customers and distributors within 3 working days. Then check the QPD for other listed sources and watch GIDEP for any related alert.
I cannot find the QPL my drawing calls out. What does that mean?
Usually that the specification was canceled or revised to remove the qualification requirement. The QPD help pages say qualification data for those documents is archived offline and is not available to general users, and they advise checking the governing specification in ASSIST. Look at the current revision and any notices, then confirm with your engineering authority what the drawing should now require.
Related
Sources
- Defense Standardization Program, SD-6 Provisions Governing Qualification (1 Aug 2019), EverySpec copy
- DLA Qualified Products Database, Help and FAQs
- Acquisition.gov, FAR Subpart 9.2 Qualifications Requirements
- MIL-STD-961E w/Change 4 (16 Jul 2020), Defense and Program-Unique Specifications Format and Content, EverySpec copy
- Acquisition.gov, DFARS 252.246-7008 Sources of Electronic Parts (Jan 2023)
- Acquisition.gov, FAR 9.207 Changes in status regarding qualification requirements
Ready to
source it?
A person replies within 1 business day. NDA first.
Request a quote