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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 9: Contractor Qualifications › Subpart 9.3

FAR 9.307 Government administration procedures.

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 outlines the Government's internal procedures for handling first article testing and approval. It requires the contract administration office to notify the testing activity before the contractor ships the first article, and for the testing activity to inform the contracting office of its decision. The contracting officer then notifies the contractor of the approval, conditional approval, or disapproval.

Applies to: Government contracting and contract administration offices involved in first article testing

What it requires

  • Provide advance notification of the forthcoming first article shipment to the Government laboratory or other activity responsible for approval
  • Advise that activity of the contractual requirements for testing and approval or evaluation
  • Call attention to the notice requirement in the applicable First Article Approval clause
  • Request that the activity inform the contract administration office of the date when testing or evaluation will be completed

Key terms: first article · first article test report · contract administration office · Government laboratory · contracting officer

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

The text

(a) Before the contractor ships the first article, or the first article test report, to the Government laboratory or other activity responsible for approval at the address specified in the contract, the contract administration office shall provide that activity with as much advance notification as is feasible of the forthcoming shipment, and—

(1) Advise that activity of the contractual requirements for testing and approval, or evaluation, as appropriate;

(2) Call attention to the notice requirement in paragraph (b) of the clause at 52.209-3, First Article Approval—Contractor Testing, or 52.209-4, First Article Approval—Government Testing; and

(3) Request that the activity inform the contract administration office of the date when testing or evaluation will be completed.

(b) The Government laboratory or other activity responsible for first article testing or evaluation shall inform the contracting office whether to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the first article. The contracting officer shall then notify the contractor of the action taken and furnish a copy of the notice to the contract administration office. The notice shall include the first article shipment number, when available, and the applicable line item number. Any changes in the drawings, designs, or specifications determined by the contracting officer to be necessary shall be made under the Changes clause, and not by the notice of approval, conditional approval, or disapproval furnished the contractor.

Sections it refers to

  • 52.209-3 First Article Approval—Contractor Testing.
  • 52.209-4 First Article Approval—Government Testing.

← 9.306 Solicitation requirements. · 9.308 Contract clauses. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 9

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

FAR 9.307 Government administration procedures · SpendQuery