FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 205: Publicizing Contract Actions › Subpart 205.3

DFARS 205.303 Announcement of contract awards.

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 requires DoD departments and agencies to publicly announce contract awards and modifications with a face value over $9 million, excluding unexercised options. It specifies what information must be reported, to whom, and when, and also requires notifying certain members of Congress. Contractors should be aware that large awards will be publicly announced and that information about the contract may be shared with Congress.

Applies to: DoD departments and agencies making contract awards

What it requires

  • Report all contractual actions, including modifications, with a face value over $9 million, excluding unexercised options.
  • For undefinitized contractual actions, report the not-to-exceed amount; later report only the amount exceeding the NTE if the definitized amount exceeds the NTE by more than $9 million.
  • For indefinite delivery, time and material, labor hour, and similar contracts, report the initial award if the estimated face value exceeds $9 million; do not report orders up to the estimated value, but after the estimated value is reached, report subsequent modifications and orders over $9 million
  • Do not report the same work twice.

Key terms: face value · unexercised options · undefinitized contractual action · not-to-exceed (NTE) amount · indefinite delivery, time and material, labor hour, and similar contracts

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

The text

(a) Public announcement. (i) The threshold for DoD awards is $9 million. Report all contractual actions, including modifications, that have a face value, excluding unexercised options, of more than $9 million.

(A) For undefinitized contractual actions, report the not-to-exceed (NTE) amount. Later, if the definitized amount exceeds the NTE amount by more than $9 million, report only the amount exceeding the NTE.

(B) For indefinite delivery, time and material, labor hour, and similar contracts, report the initial award if the estimated face value, excluding unexercised options, is more than $9 million. Do not report orders up to the estimated value, but after the estimated value is reached, report subsequent modifications and orders that have a face value of more than $9 million.

(C) Do not report the same work twice.

(ii) Departments and agencies submit the information—

(A) To the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs;

(B) By the close of business the day before the date of the proposed award;

(C) Using report control symbol DD-LA-(AR) 1279;

(D) Including, as a minimum, the following—

(1) Contract data. Contract number, modification number, or delivery order number, face value of this action, total cumulative face value of the contract, description of what is being bought, contract type, whether any of the buy was for foreign military sales (FMS) and identification of the FMS customer;

(2) Competition information. Number of solicitations mailed and number of offers received;

(3) Contractor data. Name, address, and place of performance (if significant work is performed at a different location);

(4) Funding data. Type of appropriation and fiscal year of the funds, and whether the contract is multiyear (see FAR Subpart 17.1); and

(5) Miscellaneous data. Identification of the contracting office, the contracting office point of contact, known congressional interest, and the information release date.

(iii) Departments and agencies, in accordance with department/agency procedures and concurrent with the public announcement, shall provide information similar to that required by paragraph (a)(ii) of this section to members of Congress in whose state or district the contractor is located and the work is to be performed.

← 205.301 General. · § 205.470 205.470 Contract clause. →

Rule changes for DFARS Part 205

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

DFARS 205.303 Announcement of contract awards · SpendQuery