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48 CFR · Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense supplement

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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.

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185 sections with “contracting activities”: the first 40

  • FAR 1.601 General.
    …orized supplies and services are vested in the agency head. The agency head may establish contracting activities and delegate broad authority to manage the agency's contracting functions to heads of such contracting activities. Contracts ma…
  • FAR 5.405 Exchange of acquisition information.
    …ame item or class of items is being acquired by more than one agency, or by more than one contracting activity within an agency, the exchange and coordination of pertinent information, particularly cost and pricing data, between these agenc…
  • FAR 11.603 Procedures.
    …th the provisions of the DPAS. (d) Agency heads shall ensure compliance with the DPAS by contracting activities within their agencies. (e) Agency heads shall provide contracting activities with specific guidance on the issuance of rated o…
  • FAR 12.203 Procedures for solicitation, evaluation, and award.
    (a) Contracting officers shall use the policies unique to the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services prescribed in this part in conjunction with the policies and procedures for solicitation, evaluation and award prescrib…
  • FAR 19.201 General policy.
    …ll Business Administration (SBA) counsels and assists small business concerns and assists contracting personnel to ensure that a fair proportion of contracts for supplies and services is placed with small business. (b) Heads of contracting…
  • FAR 19.402 Small Business Administration procurement center representatives.
    (a)(1) The SBA may assign one or more procurement center representatives (PCRs) to any contracting activity or contract administration office to carry out SBA policies and programs. Assigned SBA PCRs are required to comply with the contract…
  • FAR 27.305-2 Administration by the Government.
    …use referenced in 27.304-2 should be coordinated with the appropriate agency. (b)(1) The contracting officer administering the contract (or other representative specifically designated in the contract for this purpose) is responsible for r…
  • FAR 42.704 Billing rates.
    (a) The contracting officer (or cognizant Federal agency official) or auditor responsible under 42.705 for establishing the final indirect cost rates also shall be responsible for determining the billing rates. (b) The contracting officer …
  • FAR 45.602-3 Screening.
    …e standard screening period is 46 days. (1) First through twentieth day—Screening by the contracting agency. The contracting agency has 20 days to screen property reported on the inventory disposal schedule for: Other use within the agency…
  • FAR 48.102 Policies.
    …shall provide contractors a substantial financial incentive to develop and submit VECP's. Contracting activities will include value engineering provisions in appropriate supply, service, architect-engineer and construction contracts as pres…
  • FAR 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.
    As prescribed in 4.2105(b), insert the following clause: Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (NOV 2021) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Backhaul means intermedia…
  • FAR 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran—Representation and Certifications.
    As prescribed at 25.1103(e), insert the following provision: Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran—Representation and Certifications (JUN 2020) (a) Definitions. As used in…
  • DFARS 201.304 Agency control and compliance procedures.
    …is required before including in a department/agency or component supplement, or any other contracting regulation document such as a policy letter or clause book, any policy, procedure, clause, or form that— (A) Has a significant effect bey…
  • DFARS 202.101 Definitions.
    … goods under contract for another company under the label or brand name of that company. Contracting activity for DoD also means elements designated by the director of a defense agency which has been delegated contracting authority through…
  • DFARS 204.804 Closeout of contract files.
    (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this section, contracting officers shall close out contracts in accordance with the procedures at PGI 204.804. The closeout date for file purposes shall be determined and documented by the procurin…
  • FAR 7.204 Responsibilities of contracting officers.
    (a) Contracting officers are responsible for transmitting offeror responses to the solicitation provision at 52.207-4 to appropriate inventory management/requirements development activities in accordance with agency procedures. The economic…
  • FAR 9.109 Prohibition on contracting with an entity involved in activities that violate arms control treaties or agreements with the United States.
  • FAR 10.002 Procedures.
    … on such factors as urgency, estimated dollar value, complexity, and past experience. The contracting officer may use market research conducted within 18 months before the award of any task or delivery order if the information is still curr…
  • FAR 25.703 Prohibition on contracting with entities that engage in certain activities or transactions relating to Iran.
  • DFARS 206.302-5 Authorized or required by statute.
    …L. 103-160)). (iii) Acquire products and services under the Pilot Program to Incentivize Contracting with Employee-Owned Businesses (see subpart 270.1). (c) Limitations. (i) 10 U.S.C. 4141 precludes use of this exception for awards to col…
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    …rights and obligations of the parties. Change order means a written order, signed by the contracting officer, directing the contractor to make a change that the Changes clause authorizes the contracting officer to order without the contrac…
  • FAR 4.1202 Solicitation provision and contract clause.
    …or solicitations for commercial products or commercial services issued under part 12. The contracting officer shall check the applicable provisions at 52.204-8(c)(2). Use the provision with its Alternate I in solicitations issued after Octo…
  • FAR 8.402 General.
    …t. Additionally, the Department of Defense (DoD) manages similar systems of schedule-type contracting for military items; however, DoD systems are not covered by this subpart. (b) GSA schedule contracts require all schedule contractors to …
  • FAR 8.404 Use of Federal Supply Schedules.
    …chedules or synopsize the requirement; but see paragraph (g) of this section. (b)(1) The contracting officer, when placing an order or establishing a BPA, is responsible for applying the regulatory and statutory requirements applicable to …
  • FAR 8.405-1 Ordering procedures for supplies, and services not requiring a statement of work.
    …tion that is prepared and approved in accordance with 8.405-6. (2) The ordering activity contracting officer shall provide an RFQ that includes a description of the supplies to be delivered or the services to be performed and the basis upo…
  • FAR 8.405-3 Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).
    …d energy efficiency considerations. (viii) Delivery terms. (3)(i) The ordering activity contracting officer shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give preference to establishing multiple-award BPAs, rather than establishing a single-a…
  • FAR 8.406-4 Termination for cause.
    (a)(1) An ordering activity contracting officer may terminate individual orders for cause. Termination for cause shall comply with FAR 12.403, and may include charging the contractor with excess costs resulting from repurchase. (2) The sch…
  • FAR 9.506 Procedures.
    …valuate potential organizational conflicts of interest or to develop recommended actions, contracting officers should first seek the information from within the Government or from other readily available sources. Government sources include …
  • FAR 15.407-4 Should-cost review.
    …, and management. These reviews are accomplished by a multi-functional team of Government contracting, contract administration, pricing, audit, and engineering representatives. The objective of should-cost reviews is to promote both short a…
  • FAR 16.503 Requirements contracts.
    …ing orders with the contractor. (1) For the information of offerors and contractors, the contracting officer shall state a realistic estimated total quantity in the solicitation and resulting contract. This estimate is not a representation…
  • FAR 16.504 Indefinite-quantity contracts.
    … contractor must furnish any additional quantities, not to exceed the stated maximum. The contracting officer should establish a reasonable maximum quantity based on market research, trends on recent contracts for similar supplies or servic…
  • FAR 16.703 Basic ordering agreements.
    …rdering agreement is a written instrument of understanding, negotiated between an agency, contracting activity, or contracting office and a contractor, that contains (1) terms and clauses applying to future contracts (orders) between the pa…
  • FAR 23.303 Notice of radioactive materials.
    …lause at 52.223-7, Notice of Radioactive Materials, requires the contractor to notify the contracting officer prior to delivery of radioactive material. (b) Upon receipt of the notice, the contracting officer shall notify receiving activit…
  • FAR 27.303 Contract clauses.
    …products, materials, processes, or equipment (including construction equipment). (3) The contracting officer shall not include a patent rights clause in solicitations or contracts for construction work or architect-engineer services that c…
  • FAR 28.203-1 Acceptability of individual sureties.
    …nd. (c) Using the information from the SF 28 submitted by the offeror or contractor, the contracting officer shall notify the Treasury's collateral operations support team by email at [email protected] or by phone at 888-568-7343, of…
  • FAR 31.201-6 Accounting for unallowable costs.
    …ly associated costs of unallowable costs as a result of a written decision furnished by a contracting officer shall be identified if included in or used in computing any billing, claim, or proposal applicable to a Government contract. This …
  • FAR 31.205-47 Costs related to legal and other proceedings.
    …wable by regulation or by separate agreement with the United States may be allowed if the contracting officer, in consultation with his or her legal advisor, determines that there was very little likelihood that the third party would have b…
  • FAR 37.102 Policy.
    … function (see subpart 7.5). (d) Non-personal service contracts are proper under general contracting authority. (e) Agency program officials are responsible for accurately describing the need to be filled, or problem to be resolved, throu…
  • FAR 42.202 Assignment of contract administration.
    (a) Delegating functions. As provided in agency procedures, contracting officers may delegate contract administration or specialized support services, either through interagency agreements or by direct request to the cognizant CAO listed in…
  • FAR 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications.
    …on applies to solicitations expected to exceed $200,000. (iii) 52.203-18, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements—Representation. This provision applies to all solicit…

FAR (chapter 1)

DFARS (chapter 2, Defense)

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Rule changes in progress: FAR, DFARS. Terms: glossary.