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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 50: Extraordinary Contractual Actions and the Safety Act › Subpart 50.2

FAR 50.205-4 Authorization of awards made presuming SAFETY Act designation or certification after contract award.

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 when a contracting officer can award a contract before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued SAFETY Act protections, by presuming that DHS will later grant a designation or certification. It matters because it allows awards to proceed in certain cases, but only if specific conditions are met and approvals are obtained.

Applies to: Contracting officers awarding contracts that presume future SAFETY Act designation or certification.

What it requires

  • Ensure the criteria of 50.205-3(a) are met.
  • Obtain approval from the chief of the contracting office or another designated official.
  • Advise DHS of the timelines for potential award and consult DHS on when evaluations could reasonably be completed.
  • Not authorize offers presuming SAFETY Act certification unless a block certification applies to the class of technology.

Key terms: SAFETY Act designation · SAFETY Act certification · DHS · block certification · contracting officer

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

The text

(a) When necessary to award a contract prior to DHS issuing SAFETY Act protections, contracting officers may award contracts presuming that DHS will issue a SAFETY Act designation/certification to the contractor after contract award only if—

(1) The criteria of 50.205-3(a) are met;

(2) The chief of the contracting office (or other official designated in agency procedures) approves the action; and

(3) The contracting officer advises DHS of the timelines for potential award and consults DHS as to when DHS could reasonably complete evaluations of offerors' applications for SAFETY Act designations or certifications.

(b) Contracting officers shall not authorize offers presuming that SAFETY Act certification will be obtained (as opposed to a SAFETY Act designation), unless a block certification applies to the class of technology to be acquired under the solicitation.

Sections it refers to

  • 50.205-3 Authorization of offers contingent upon SAFETY Act designation or certification before contract award.

Sections that refer to it

  • 50.204 Policy.
  • 50.206 Solicitation provisions and contract clause.

← 50.205-3 Authorization of offers contingent upon SAFETY Act designation or certification before contract award. · 50.206 Solicitation provisions and contract clause. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 50

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

FAR 50.205-4 Authorization of awards made presuming SAFETY Act designation or certification after contract award · SpendQuery