The purchaser may award, without prior advertising or competitive tendering, a contract for the additional purchase of supplies performed by the contract holder and intended either as a partial replacement of commonly used supplies or installations, or as the extension of existing supplies or installations, where a change of contract holder would require the acquisition of equipment using a different technique that would result in incompatibility with the equipment already acquired or disproportionate technical difficulties in use and maintenance.
The duration of these additional supply contracts, including renewal periods, may not exceed five years, except in exceptional circumstances determined by taking into account the expected service life of the objects, installations or systems supplied, as well as the technical difficulties that a change of contractor may cause.