FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 17: Special Contracting Methods › Subpart 17.5
FAR 17.502-1 General.
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
FAR 17.502-1 requires written interagency agreements for assisted acquisitions to define management and administration responsibilities before a solicitation is issued. It also mandates a business-case analysis for multi-agency and governmentwide acquisition contracts, including consideration of small business participation. These rules matter to contractors because they affect how interagency contracts are planned and administered, which can influence contracting opportunities.
Applies to: Agencies involved in interagency acquisitions, including assisted acquisitions and multi-agency or governmentwide acquisition contracts.
What it requires
- For assisted acquisitions, the servicing agency and requesting agency must both sign a written interagency agreement before solicitation issuance.
- The requesting agency must provide any unique terms, conditions, and agency-specific requirements to the servicing agency for incorporation into the contract or order.
- If there are no agency unique requirements beyond the FAR, the requesting agency must inform the servicing agency contracting officer in writing.
- For multi-agency or governmentwide acquisition contracts, the servicing agency must prepare a business-case analysis that considers small business participation, details administration and costs, describes impact on purchasing power, includes a need analysis, and documents roles and responsibilities
Key terms: assisted acquisitions · servicing agency · requesting agency · interagency agreement · business-case analysis
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Written agreement on responsibility for management and administration—(1) Assisted acquisitions. (i) Prior to the issuance of a solicitation, the servicing agency and the requesting agency shall both sign a written interagency agreement that establishes the general terms and conditions governing the relationship between the parties, including roles and responsibilities for acquisition planning, contract execution, and administration and management of the contract(s) or order(s). The requesting agency shall provide to the servicing agency any unique terms, conditions, and applicable agency-specific statutes, regulations, directives, and other applicable requirements for incorporation into the order or contract. In the event there are no agency unique requirements beyond the FAR, the requesting agency shall so inform the servicing agency contracting officer in writing. For acquisitions on behalf of the Department of Defense, also see subpart 17.7. For patent rights, see 27.304-2. In preparing interagency agreements to support assisted acquisitions, agencies should review the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) guidance, Interagency Acquisitions, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/assets/OMB/procurement/interagency_acq/iac_revised.pdf.
(ii) Each agency's file shall include the interagency agreement between the requesting and servicing agency, and shall include sufficient documentation to ensure an adequate audit consistent with 4.801(b).
(2) Direct acquisitions. The requesting agency administers the order; therefore, no written agreement with the servicing agency is required.
(b) Business-case analysis requirements for multi-agency contracts and governmentwide acquisition contracts. In order to establish a multi-agency or governmentwide acquisition contract, a business-case analysis must be prepared by the servicing agency and approved in accordance with the OFPP business case guidance, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/procurement/memo/development-review-and-approval-of-business-cases-for-certain-interagency-and-agency-specific-acquisitions-memo.pdf The[ACM(3] business-case analysis shall—
(1) Consider strategies for the effective participation of small businesses during acquisition planning (see 7.103(u));
(2) Detail the administration of such contract, including an analysis of all direct and indirect costs to the Government of awarding and administering such contract;
(3) Describe the impact such contract will have on the ability of the Government to leverage its purchasing power, e.g., will it have a negative effect because it dilutes other existing contracts;
(4) Include an analysis concluding that there is a need for establishing the multi-agency contract; and
(5) Document roles and responsibilities in the administration of the contract.
Sections it refers to
← 17.502 Procedures. · 17.502-2 The Economy Act. →
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.