FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 19: Small Business Programs › Subpart 19.7

FAR 19.705-1 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

This section explains how contracting officers can encourage more subcontracting to small businesses in negotiated acquisitions, including through monetary incentives for exceeding subcontracting goals. It also requires a subcontracting plan for certain indefinite-delivery contracts when the estimated value meets the thresholds in 19.702(a) and small business subcontracting opportunities exist. Contractors should understand that incentives must be tied to realistic goals and that a contract cannot have more than one subcontracting plan.

Applies to: Contracting officers and contractors with negotiated acquisitions or indefinite-delivery contracts

What it requires

  • The contracting officer must ensure that goals are realistic and that rewards for exceeding goals are commensurate with the efforts the contractor would not have otherwise expended.
  • Except where a contractor has a commercial plan, the contracting officer shall require a subcontracting plan for each indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract when the estimated value meets the subcontracting plan thresholds at 19.702(a) and small business subcontracting opportunities exist

Key terms: subcontracting plan · indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract · commercial plan · subcontracting goals · Incentive Subcontracting Program

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) The contracting officer may encourage the development of increased subcontracting opportunities in negotiated acquisition by providing monetary incentives such as payments based on actual subcontracting achievement or award-fee contracting (see the clause at 52.219-10, Incentive Subcontracting Program, and 19.708(c)). When using any contractual incentive provision based upon rewarding the contractor monetarily for exceeding goals in the subcontracting plan, the contracting officer must ensure that (a) the goals are realistic and (b) any rewards for exceeding the goals are commensurate with the efforts the contractor would not have otherwise expended. Incentive provisions should normally be negotiated after reaching final agreement with the contractor on the subcontracting plan.

(b)(1) Except where a contractor has a commercial plan, the contracting officer shall require a subcontracting plan for each indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (including task or delivery order contracts, FSS, GWACs, and MACs), when the estimated value of the contract meets the subcontracting plan thresholds at 19.702(a)and small business subcontracting opportunities exist.

(2) Contracting officers placing orders may establish small business subcontracting goals for each order. Establishing goals shall not be in the form of a new subcontracting plan as a contract may not have more than one plan (19.705-2(e)).

Sections it refers to

  • 52.219-10 Incentive Subcontracting Program.
  • 19.708 Contract clauses.
  • 19.702 Statutory requirements.
  • 19.705-2 Determining the need for a subcontracting plan.

Sections that refer to it

  • 19.705-2 Determining the need for a subcontracting plan.

← 19.705 Responsibilities of the contracting officer under the subcontracting assistance program. · 19.705-2 Determining the need for a subcontracting plan. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 19

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 19.705-1 General · SpendQuery