FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2
FAR 52.203-8 Cancellation, Rescission, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity.
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 clause lets the Government cancel a solicitation or rescind a contract if a contractor or someone acting for the contractor violates the restrictions in 41 U.S.C. 2102-2104 on obtaining and disclosing certain information. If the contract is rescinded, the Government can recover the amount it spent under the contract, in addition to any penalty required by law. These Government rights are not exclusive and add to other remedies available by law, regulation, or the contract.
Applies to: Contractors and persons acting for them under a contract containing this clause
Key terms: cancel the solicitation · rescind the contract · preponderance of the evidence · recover the amount expended under the contract · not exclusive
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 3.104-9(a), insert the following clause:
Cancellation, Rescission, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity (MAY 2014)
(a) If the Government receives information that a contractor or a person has violated 41 U.S.C. 2102-2104, Restrictions on Obtaining and Disclosing Certain Information, the Government may—
(1) Cancel the solicitation, if the contract has not yet been awarded or issued; or
(2) Rescind the contract with respect to which—
(i) The Contractor or someone acting for the Contractor has been convicted for an offense where the conduct violates 41 U.S.C. 2102 for the purpose of either—
(A) Exchanging the information covered by such subsections for anything of value; or
(B) Obtaining or giving anyone a competitive advantage in the award of a Federal agency procurement contract; or
(ii) The head of the contracting activity has determined, based upon a preponderance of the evidence, that the Contractor or someone acting for the Contractor has engaged in conduct punishable under 41 U.S.C. 2105(a).
(b) If the Government rescinds the contract under paragraph (a) of this clause, the Government is entitled to recover, in addition to any penalty prescribed by law, the amount expended under the contract.
(c) The rights and remedies of the Government specified herein are not exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law, regulation, or under this contract.
(End of clause)
← 52.203-7 Anti-Kickback Procedures. · 52.203-9 [Reserved] →
Rule changes for FAR Part 52
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44, and 51 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 16, 17, and 35 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 9, 27, and 47 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 14, 28, 36, and 52 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 3 and 49 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 5, 24, and 29 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- 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: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 1, 2, 4, 33, 39, 40, and 53 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.