FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2
FAR 52.215-10 Price Reduction for Defective Certified Cost or Pricing Data.
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 allows the government to reduce the contract price if it determines that the price or cost was increased by defective certified cost or pricing data. It also limits defenses the contractor can raise and requires repayment with interest and possible penalty if overpayments occurred.
Applies to: Contractors and subcontractors who furnished certified cost or pricing data in connection with a negotiated contract.
What it requires
- Agree not to raise certain defenses if the Contracting Officer determines a price or cost reduction should be made.
- Pay the United States interest compounded daily on any overpayment if a price reduction reduces the price of items already paid.
- Pay a penalty equal to the overpayment if the Contractor or subcontractor knowingly submitted incomplete, inaccurate, or noncurrent certified cost or pricing data.
Key terms: certified cost or pricing data · Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data · defective data · offset · overpayment
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 15.408(b), insert the following clause:
Price Reduction for Defective Certified Cost or Pricing Data (AUG 2011)
(a) If any price, including profit or fee, negotiated in connection with this contract, or any cost reimbursable under this contract, was increased by any significant amount because—
(1) The Contractor or a subcontractor furnished certified cost or pricing data that were not complete, accurate, and current as certified in its Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data;
(2) A subcontractor or prospective subcontractor furnished the Contractor certified cost or pricing data that were not complete, accurate, and current as certified in the Contractor's Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data; or
(3) Any of these parties furnished data of any description that were not accurate, the price or cost shall be reduced accordingly and the contract shall be modified to reflect the reduction.
(b) Any reduction in the contract price under paragraph (a) of this clause due to defective data from a prospective subcontractor that was not subsequently awarded the subcontract shall be limited to the amount, plus applicable overhead and profit markup, by which (1) the actual subcontract or (2) the actual cost to the Contractor, if there was no subcontract, was less than the prospective subcontract cost estimate submitted by the Contractor; provided, that the actual subcontract price was not itself affected by defective certified cost or pricing data.
(c)(1) If the Contracting Officer determines under paragraph (a) of this clause that a price or cost reduction should be made, the Contractor agrees not to raise the following matters as a defense:
(i) The Contractor or subcontractor was a sole source supplier or otherwise was in a superior bargaining position and thus the price of the contract would not have been modified even if accurate, complete, and current certified cost or pricing data had been submitted.
(ii) The Contracting Officer should have known that the certified cost or pricing data in issue were defective even though the Contractor or subcontractor took no affirmative action to bring the character of the data to the attention of the Contracting Officer.
(iii) The contract was based on an agreement about the total cost of the contract and there was no agreement about the cost of each item procured under the contract.
(iv) The Contractor or subcontractor did not submit a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data.
(2)(i) Except as prohibited by subdivision (c)(2)(ii) of this clause, an offset in an amount determined appropriate by the Contracting Officer based upon the facts shall be allowed against the amount of a contract price reduction if—
(A) The Contractor certifies to the Contracting Officer that, to the best of the Contractor's knowledge and belief, the Contractor is entitled to the offset in the amount requested; and
(B) The Contractor proves that the certified cost or pricing data were available before the “as of” date specified on its Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data, and that the data were not submitted before such date.
(ii) An offset shall not be allowed if—
(A) The understated data were known by the Contractor to be understated before the “as of” date specified on its Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data; or
(B) The Government proves that the facts demonstrate that the contract price would not have increased in the amount to be offset even if the available data had been submitted before the “as of” date specified on its Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data.
(d) If any reduction in the contract price under this clause reduces the price of items for which payment was made prior to the date of the modification reflecting the price reduction, the Contractor shall be liable to and shall pay the United States at the time such overpayment is repaid—
(1) Interest compounded daily, as required by 26 U.S.C. 6622, on the amount of such overpayment to be computed from the date(s) of overpayment to the Contractor to the date the Government is repaid by the Contractor at the applicable underpayment rate effective for each quarter prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury under 26 U.S.C. 6621(a)(2); and
(2) A penalty equal to the amount of the overpayment, if the Contractor or subcontractor knowingly submitted certified cost or pricing data that were incomplete, inaccurate, or noncurrent.
(End of clause)
Sections it refers to
- 15.408 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
← 52.215-9 Changes or Additions to Make-or-Buy Program. · 52.215-11 Price Reduction for Defective Certified Cost or Pricing Data—Modifications. →
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.