FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 15: Contracting by Negotiation › Subpart 15.4
FAR 15.403-5 Instructions for submission of certified cost or pricing data and data other than certified cost or pricing data.
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 tells contracting officers what they must state in a solicitation about cost or pricing data. It also explains the formats an offeror may use when submitting certified cost or pricing data, other data, or data supporting forward pricing rate agreements. It matters because it shapes what pricing information a contractor will be asked to provide and in what form.
Applies to: Contracting officers preparing solicitations and offerors submitting pricing data
What it requires
- The contracting officer shall specify in the solicitation whether certified cost or pricing data are required.
- The contracting officer shall specify that the offeror may request an exception from submitting certified cost or pricing data.
- The contracting officer shall specify any requirement for data other than certified cost or pricing data.
- The contracting officer shall specify the requirement for necessary preaward or postaward access to the offeror's records.
Key terms: certified cost or pricing data · data other than certified cost or pricing data · exception · forward pricing rate agreements · solicitation
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Taking into consideration the policy at 15.402, the contracting officer shall specify in the solicitation (see 15.408 (l) and (m))—
(1) Whether certified cost or pricing data are required;
(2) That, in lieu of submitting certified cost or pricing data, the offeror may submit a request for exception from the requirement to submit certified cost or pricing data;
(3) Any requirement for data other than certified cost or pricing data; and
(4) The requirement for necessary preaward or postaward access to offeror's records.
(b)(1) Format for submission of certified cost or pricing data. When certification is required, the contracting officer may require submission of certified cost or pricing data in the format indicated in Table 15-2 of 15.408, specify an alternative format, or permit submission in the contractor's format (See 15.408(l)(1)), unless the data are required to be submitted on one of the termination forms specified in subpart 49.6.
(2) Format for submission of data other than certified cost or pricing data. When required by the contracting officer, data other than certified cost or pricing data may be submitted in the offeror's own format unless the contracting officer decides that use of a specific format is essential for evaluating and determining that the price is fair and reasonable and the format has been described in the solicitation.
(3) Format for submission of data supporting forward pricing rate agreements. Data supporting forward pricing rate agreements or final indirect cost proposals shall be submitted in a form acceptable to the contracting officer.
Sections that refer to it
- 2.101 Definitions.
- 15.403-3 Requiring data other than certified cost or pricing data.
- 15.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
- 52.215-20 Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data.
- 52.215-21 Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data—Modifications.
- 215.403-5 Instructions for submission of certified cost or pricing data and data other than certified cost or pricing data.
← 15.403-4 Requiring certified cost or pricing data (10 U.S.C. chapter 271 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 35). · 15.404 Proposal analysis. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 15
- 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: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
- 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
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · proposed 2024-11-29 · comments due 2025-01-28
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Reverse Auction Guidance ↗ · final rule 2024-07-30 · effective 2024-08-29
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Sustainable Procurement ↗ · final rule 2024-04-22 · effective 2024-05-22
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.