FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 217: Special Contracting Methods › Subpart 217.74
DFARS 217.7401 Definitions.
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 defines key terms used in DFARS subpart 217.74, including contract action, definitization, qualifying proposal, and undefinitized contract action. It matters to contractors because it explains what counts as a contract action and what an undefinitized contract action is, which affects how and when contract terms and prices get finalized.
Applies to: DoD contractors and contracting actions under DFARS subpart 217.74
Key terms: contract action · definitization · qualifying proposal · undefinitized contract action
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As used in this subpart—
Contract action means an action which results in a contract.
(1) It includes contract modifications for additional supplies or services.
(2) It includes task orders and delivery orders.
(3) It does not include change orders, administrative changes, funding modifications, or any other contract modifications that are within the scope and under the terms of the contract, e.g., engineering change proposals, value engineering change proposals, and over and above work requests as described in subpart 217.77. For policy relating to definitization of change orders, see 243.204-70.
Definitization means the agreement on, or determination of, contract terms, specifications, and price, which converts the undefinitized contract action to a definitive contract.
Qualifying proposal means a proposal that contains sufficient information to enable DoD to conduct meaningful analyses and audits of the information contained in the proposal.
Undefinitized contract action means any contract action for which the contract terms, specifications, or price are not agreed upon before performance is begun under the action. Examples are letter contracts, orders under basic ordering agreements, and provisioned item orders, for which the price has not been agreed upon before performance has begun. For policy relating to definitization of change orders, see 243.204-70.
Sections it refers to
- 243.204-70 Definitization of change orders.
Sections that refer to it
- 215.404-71-2 Performance risk.
- 215.404-71-3 Contract type risk and working capital adjustment.
← 217.7400 Scope. · 217.7402 Exceptions. →
Rule changes for DFARS Part 217
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Mitigating Risks Related to Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (DFARS Case 2021-D011) ↗ · proposed 2026-05-07 · comments due 2026-07-06
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041) ↗ · final rule 2025-09-10 · effective 2025-11-10
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds (DFARS Case 2024-D002) ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-10-01
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds (DFARS Case 2024-D002) ↗ · proposed 2025-01-17 · comments due 2025-03-18
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2025-01-17 · effective 2025-01-17
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Disclosure of Information Regarding Foreign Obligations (DFARS Case 2018-D064) ↗ · proposed 2024-11-15 · comments due 2025-01-14
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Data Universal Numbering System to Unique Entity Identifier Transition (DFARS Case 2022-D023) ↗ · final rule 2024-09-26 · effective 2024-10-01
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041) ↗ · proposed 2024-08-15 · comments due 2024-10-15
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.