FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 12: Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services › Subpart 12.5
FAR 12.501 Applicability.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This section states that the subpart applies to contracts and subcontracts at any tier for buying commercial products or commercial services. It also says nothing in the subpart waives any legal requirement for subcontracts when a prime contractor is just reselling or distributing another contractor's commercial items without adding value. Finally, it treats 8(a) Program subcontractors as prime contractors for this subpart.
Applies to: Contracts and subcontracts at any tier for commercial products or commercial services
Key terms: commercial products · commercial services · subcontract · prime contractor · 8(a) Program
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) This subpart applies to any contract or subcontract at any tier for the acquisition of commercial products or commercial services.
(b) Nothing in this subpart shall be construed to authorize the waiver of any provision of law with respect to any subcontract if the prime contractor is reselling or distributing commercial products or commercial services of another contractor without adding value. This limitation is intended to preclude establishment of unusual contractual arrangements solely for the purpose of Government sales.
(c) For purposes of this subpart, contractors awarded subcontracts under subpart 19.8, Contracting with the Small Business Administration (the 8(a) Program), shall be considered prime contractors.
Sections that refer to it
- 47.504 Exceptions.
← 12.500 Scope of subpart. · 12.502 Procedures. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 12
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44, and 51 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Prohibition on Certain Semiconductor Products and Services ↗ · proposed 2026-02-17 · comments due 2026-04-20
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws ↗ · proposed 2025-07-21 · comments due 2025-09-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Small Business Participation on Certain Multiple-Award Contracts ↗ · proposed 2025-06-12
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Small Business Participation on Certain Multiple-Award Contracts ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Controlled Unclassified Information ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.