FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 17: Special Contracting Methods › Subpart 17.4
FAR 17.403 Procedures.
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 describes how a contracting officer can use a leader-follower arrangement, where a leader company helps a follower company produce items. It also requires that any such contract include a firm agreement about disclosing proprietary information.
Applies to: Contracting officers awarding prime contracts under leader-follower arrangements
What it requires
- Ensure any contract awarded under this arrangement contains a firm agreement regarding disclosure of proprietary information.
Key terms: leader company · follower company · prime contract · subcontract · proprietary nature
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) The contracting officer may award a prime contract to a—
(1) Leader company, obligating it to subcontract a designated portion of the required end items to a specified follower company and to assist it to produce the required end items;
(2) Leader company, for the required assistance to a follower company, and a prime contract to the follower for production of the items; or
(3) Follower company, obligating it to subcontract with a designated leader company for the required assistance.
(b) The contracting officer shall ensure that any contract awarded under this arrangement contains a firm agreement regarding disclosure, if any, of contractor trade secrets, technical designs or concepts, and specific data, or software, of a proprietary nature.
← 17.402 Limitations. · 17.500 Scope of subpart. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 16, 17, and 35 ↗ · 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; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2025-05-12 · effective 2025-06-11
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition ↗ · 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: Prohibition on the Use of Reverse Auctions for Complex, Specialized, or Substantial Design and Construction Services ↗ · proposed 2024-08-29 · comments due 2024-10-28
- Federal Acquisition Regulation; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2024-07-30 · effective 2024-08-29
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Reverse Auction Guidance ↗ · final rule 2024-07-30 · effective 2024-08-29
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.