; (2) the anticipated award price of the contract (including options) will not exceed the amounts established in section 36(c)(2) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 657f(c)(2) ); and (3) in the estimation of the contracting officer, the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers best value to the United States. (c) Use of restricted competition Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), for purposes of meeting the goals under subsection (a) and in accordance with this section, a contracting officer shall award contracts on the basis of competition restricted to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans or small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans if the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans or small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans (as applicable) will submit offers and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers best value to the United States. (d) Eligibility of small business concerns A small business concern may be awarded a contract under this section only if the small business concern and the veteran owner of the small business concern are listed in the database described in section 36(f)(1) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 657f(f)(1) ). (e) Priority for contracting preferences Preferences for awarding contracts to small business concerns shall be applied in the following order of priority: (1) Contracts awarded pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. (2) Contracts awarded pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans that are not covered by paragraph (1). (3) Contracts awarded pursuant to— (A) section 8(a) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637(a) )