FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 6: Competition Requirements › Subpart 6.1

FAR 6.101 Policy.

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 states the general policy that contracting officers must promote and provide for full and open competition when soliciting offers and awarding Government contracts, subject to limited exceptions found in other subparts. It also directs contracting officers to use the competitive procedures in this subpart that best fit the circumstances while still meeting the Government's needs efficiently.

Applies to: Contracting officers awarding Government contracts

What it requires

Promote and provide for full and open competition in soliciting offers and awarding Government contracts
Provide for full and open competition using the competitive procedures best suited to the circumstances and consistent with fulfilling the Government's requirements efficiently

Key terms: full and open competition · contracting officers · competitive procedures · soliciting offers

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

The text

(a) 10 U.S.C. 3201 and 41 U.S.C. 3301 require, with certain limited exceptions (see subparts 6.2 and 6.3), that contracting officers shall promote and provide for full and open competition in soliciting offers and awarding Government contracts.

(b) Contracting officers shall provide for full and open competition through use of the competitive procedure(s) contained in this subpart that are best suited to the circumstances of the contract action and consistent with the need to fulfill the Government's requirements efficiently (10 U.S.C. 3201 and 41 U.S.C. 3301).

← 6.100 Scope of subpart. · 6.102 Use of competitive procedures. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 6

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: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
Federal Acquisition Regulation: Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Programs ↗ · proposed 2025-06-12
Federal Acquisition Regulation: Certification of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ↗ · final rule 2024-12-16 · effective 2024-12-16
Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · proposed 2024-11-29 · comments due 2025-01-28
Federal Acquisition Regulation: Certification of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ↗ · final rule 2024-02-23 · effective 2024-02-23

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