FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2
FAR 52.217-2 Cancellation Under Multiyear Contracts.
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 explains what happens if the Government cancels its requirements for future years of a multiyear contract because funds are not available. It allows the contractor to be paid a cancellation charge, limited to a ceiling in the Schedule, to cover certain costs that would have been spread over the whole contract but were not because of the cancellation. The contractor must submit a claim within a specified time, and the claim cannot include certain costs like labor or profit on canceled work.
Applies to: Contractors under multiyear contracts that include this clause.
What it requires
- Submit the cancellation claim promptly but no later than 1 year from the earlier of the date of notification of nonavailability of funds or the date specified in the Schedule for notification of availability of additional funds, unless the Contracting Officer grants a written extension.
- If the contract includes an Option clause, do not include in option quantities any startup or nonrecurring costs that have been fully set forth in the contract.
- Ensure that option quantities reflect only recurring costs and a reasonable profit or fee.
Key terms: Cancellation · cancellation ceiling · cancellation charge · multiyear contract · Option clause
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 17.109(a), insert the following clause:
Cancellation Under Multiyear Contracts (OCT 1997)
(a) Cancellation, as used in this clause, means that the Government is canceling its requirements for all supplies or services in program years subsequent to that in which notice of cancellation is provided. Cancellation shall occur by the date or within the time period specified in the Schedule, unless a later date is agreed to, if the Contracting Officer (1) notifies the Contractor that funds are not available for contract performance for any subsequent program year, or (2) fails to notify the Contractor that funds are available for performance of the succeeding program year requirement.
(b) Except for cancellation under this clause or termination under the Default clause, any reduction by the Contracting Officer in the requirements of this contract shall be considered a termination under the Termination for Convenience of the Government clause.
(c) If cancellation under this clause occurs, the Contractor will be paid a cancellation charge not over the cancellation ceiling specified in the Schedule as applicable at the time of cancellation.
(d) The cancellation charge will cover only (1) costs (i) incurred by the Contractor and/or subcontractor, (ii) reasonably necessary for performance of the contract, and (iii) that would have been equitably amortized over the entire multiyear contract period but, because of the cancellation, are not so amortized, and (2) a reasonable profit or fee on the costs.
(e) The cancellation charge shall be computed and the claim made for it as if the claim were being made under the Termination for Convenience of the Government clause of this contract. The Contractor shall submit the claim promptly but no later than 1 year from the date (1) of notification of the nonavailability of funds, or (2) specified in the Schedule by which notification of the availability of additional funds for the next succeeding program year is required to be issued, whichever is earlier, unless extensions in writing are granted by the Contracting Officer.
(f) The Contractor's claim may include—
(1) Reasonable nonrecurring costs (see Subpart 15.4 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation) which are applicable to and normally would have been amortized in all supplies or services which are multiyear requirements;
(2) Allocable portions of the costs of facilities acquired or established for the conduct of the work, to the extent that it is impracticable for the Contractor to use the facilities in its commercial work, and if the costs are not charged to the contract through overhead or otherwise depreciated;
(3) Costs incurred for the assembly, training, and transportation to and from the job site of a specialized work force; and
(4) Costs not amortized solely because the cancellation had precluded anticipated benefits of Contractor or subcontractor learning.
(g) The claim shall not include—
(1) Labor, material, or other expenses incurred by the Contractor or subcontractors for performance of the canceled work;
(2) Any cost already paid to the Contractor;
(3) Anticipated profit or unearned fee on the canceled work; or
(4) For service contracts, the remaining useful commercial life of facilities. Useful commercial life means the commercial utility of the facilities rather than their physical life with due consideration given to such factors as location of facilities, their specialized nature, and obsolescence.
(h) This contract may include an Option clause with the period for exercising the option limited to the date in the contract for notification that funds are available for the next succeeding program year. If so, the Contractor agrees not to include in option quantities any costs of a startup or nonrecurring nature that have been fully set forth in the contract. The Contractor further agrees that the option quantities will reflect only those recurring costs and a reasonable profit or fee necessary to furnish the additional option quantities.
(i) Quantities added to the original contract through the Option clause of this contract shall be included in the quantity canceled for the purpose of computing allowable cancellation charges.
(End of clause)
Sections it refers to
- 17.109 Contract clauses.
← 52.217-1 [Reserved] · 52.217-3 Evaluation Exclusive of Options. →
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.