FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 18: Emergency Acquisitions › Subpart 18.2
FAR 18.202 Defense or recovery from certain events.
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 allows certain acquisition thresholds to be increased and commercial treatment to be applied when the head of the agency determines that supplies or services are needed for defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attacks, international disaster assistance, or response to an emergency or major disaster. It also encourages, but does not require, contracting officers to procure sustainable products and services in those situations. For contractors, this means that during such events, the government may use higher thresholds and simpler procedures, potentially making it easier to award contracts quickly.
Applies to: Acquisitions of supplies or services used for defense against or recovery from certain attacks, international disaster assistance, or emergency or major disaster response.
Key terms: micro-purchase threshold · simplified acquisition threshold · commercial product or commercial service treatment · simplified procedures · sustainable products and services
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Micro-purchase threshold. The threshold increases when the head of the agency determines the supplies or services are to be used to facilitate defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack; to facilitate provision of international disaster assistance; or to support response to an emergency or major disaster. (See 2.101.)
(b) Simplified acquisition threshold. The threshold increases when the head of the agency determines the supplies or services are to be used to facilitate defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack; to facilitate provision of international disaster assistance; or to support response to an emergency or major disaster. (See 2.101.)
(c) Commercial product or commercial service treatment. Contracting officers may treat any acquisition of supplies or services as an acquisition of commercial products or commercial services if the head of the agency determines the acquisition is to be used to facilitate the defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack. (See 12.102(f)(1) and 13.500(c)(2).)
(d) Simplified procedures for certain commercial products and commercial services. The threshold limits authorized for use of this authority may be increased when it is determined the acquisition is to facilitate defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack; to facilitate provision of international disaster assistance; or to support response to an emergency or major disaster. (See 13.500(c).)
(e) Sustainable products and services. Contracting officers are encouraged, but not required, to procure sustainable products and services if the head of the agency determines the supplies or services are to be used to facilitate defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack; to facilitate provision of international disaster assistance; or to support response to an emergency or major disaster (see 23.106(c)).
Sections that refer to it
- 2.101 Definitions.
← 18.201 Contingency operation. · 18.203 Emergency declaration or major disaster declaration. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 18
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 6, 7, 10, 18, 26, 37, and 41 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Certification of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ↗ · final rule 2024-12-16 · effective 2024-12-16
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Sustainable Procurement ↗ · final rule 2024-04-22 · effective 2024-05-22
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Certification of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ↗ · final rule 2024-02-23 · effective 2024-02-23
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.