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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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158 sections with “head of contracting activity”: the first 40

  • DFARS 218.270 Head of contracting activity determinations.
    The term “head of the agency” is replaced with “head of the contracting activity,” as defined in FAR 2.101, in the following locations: (a) FAR 2.101: definition of “simplified acquisition threshold.” (b) FAR 12.102(f). (c) FAR 13.201(g)…
  • FAR 9.504 Contracting officer responsibilities.
    … involve a significant potential conflict, the contracting officer shall recommend to the head of the contracting activity a course of action for resolving the conflict (see 9.506). (d) In fulfilling their responsibilities for identifying …
  • FAR 52.203-8 Cancellation, Rescission, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity.
    …competitive advantage in the award of a Federal agency procurement contract; or (ii) The head of the contracting activity has determined, based upon a preponderance of the evidence, that the Contractor or someone acting for the Contractor …
  • FAR 1.601 General.
    … responsibility to contract for authorized 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 …
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    …e determinations, see the definition of “small business concern” in this section. Agency head or head of the agency means the Secretary, Attorney General, Administrator, Governor, Chairperson, or other chief official of an executive agency…
  • FAR 15.407-4 Should-cost review.
    …ld-cost reviews—program should-cost review (see paragraph (b) of this subsection) and overhead should-cost review (see paragraph (c) of this subsection). These should-cost reviews may be performed together or independently. The scope of a s…
  • FAR 19.201 General policy.
    …air proportion of contracts for supplies and services is placed with small business. (b) Heads of contracting activities are responsible for effectively implementing the small business programs within their activities, including achieving …
  • FAR 19.502-8 Rejecting Small Business Administration recommendations.
    …PCR is not assigned, see 19.402(a)) may appeal the contracting officer's rejection to the head of the contracting activity within 2 working days after receiving the notice (except see 19.1305(d), 19.1405(e), and 19.1505(i)). The head of the…
  • FAR 19.1305 HUBZone set-aside procedures.
    …tent to appeal, the contracting officer shall suspend action on the acquisition until the head of the contracting activity issues a written decision on the appeal, unless the head of the contracting activity makes a written determination th…
  • FAR 19.1505 Set-aside procedures.
    … The contracting officer shall suspend further action regarding the procurement until the head of the agency issues a written decision on the appeal, unless the head of the agency makes a written determination that urgent and compelling cir…
  • DFARS 202.101 Definitions.
    … Special Operations Command, the United States Transportation Command, and the Washington Headquarters Service. Electronic part means an integrated circuit, a discrete electronic component (including, but not limited to, a transistor, capa…
  • DFARS 204.804 Closeout of contract files.
    …urposes shall be determined and documented by the procuring contracting officer. (2) The head of the contracting activity shall assign the highest priority to closeout of contracts awarded for performance in a contingency area. Heads of co…
  • DFARS 217.172 Multiyear contracts for supplies.
    …nd other multiyear acquisitions specifically authorized by law (10 U.S.C. 3501). (b) The head of the agency may enter into a multiyear contract for supplies if, in addition to the conditions listed in FAR 17.105-1(b), the use of such a con…
  • DFARS 218.201 Contingency operation.
    … be required to provide DoD item unique identification if the items, as determined by the head of the contracting activity, are to be used to support a contingency operation. See 211.274-2(b). (3) Use of the Governmentwide commercial purch…
  • DFARS 223.501-70 Disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions.
    …fy a voluntary disclosure of a greenhouse gas inventory or other report. (e) Waiver. The head of the contracting activity may issue, on a contract-by-contract basis, a waiver to the prohibition at paragraph (c) of this section, provided th…
  • DFARS 225.870-4 Contracting procedures.
    …other than certified cost or pricing data from the Canadian Commercial Corporation if the head of the contracting activity, or designee no lower than two levels above the contracting officer, determines that data other than certified cost o…
  • DFARS 232.901 Applicability.
    …release of hazardous substances (as defined in 4 U.S.C. 9606, section 106); and (ii) The head of the contracting activity has made a determination, after consultation with the cognizant comptroller, that conditions exist that limit normal …
  • FAR 1.602-3 Ratification of unauthorized commitments.
    …nment personnel. (2) Subject to the limitations in paragraph (c) of this subsection, the head of the contracting activity, unless a higher level official is designated by the agency, may ratify an unauthorized commitment. (3) The ratifica…
  • FAR 6.304 Approval of the justification.
    …g $90 million, or, for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, not exceeding $150 million, by the head of the procuring activity, or a designee who— (i) If a member of the armed forces, is a general or flag officer; or (ii) If a civilian, is serv…
  • FAR 8.404 Use of Federal Supply Schedules.
    …rdance with this paragraph shall be signed by the contracting officer and approved by the head of the contracting activity prior to the execution of the base period. (iii) The D&F required by paragraph (h)(3)(ii)(A) of this section shall c…
  • FAR 9.105-3 Disclosure of preaward information.
    …mining responsibility. After award, the contracting officer or, if it is appropriate, the head of the surveying activity or a designee may discuss the findings of the preaward survey with the company surveyed. (c) Preaward survey informati…
  • FAR 9.202 Policy.
    (a)(1) The head of the agency or designee shall, before establishing a qualification requirement, prepare a written justification— (i) Stating the necessity for establishing the qualification requirement and specifying why the qualificatio…
  • FAR 9.503 Waiver.
    The agency head or a designee may waive any general rule or procedure of this subpart by determining that its application in a particular situation would not be in the Government's interest. Any request for waiver must be in writing, shall …
  • FAR 16.505 Ordering.
    …Coast Guard, not exceeding $150 million), the justification must be approved by— (i) The head of the procuring activity placing the order; (ii) A designee who— (A) If a member of the armed forces, is a general or flag officer; (B) If a …
  • FAR 16.601 Time-and-materials contracts.
    …basis of— (1) Direct labor hours at specified fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit; and (2) Actual cost for materials (except as provided for in 31.205-26(e) and (f)). (c) Appli…
  • FAR 19.1405 Set-aside procedures.
    …ent to appeal, the contracting officer shall suspend action on the acquisition unless the head of the contracting activity makes a written determination that urgent and compelling circumstances, which significantly affect the interests of t…
  • FAR 25.603 Exceptions.
    …without regard to the restrictions of the Buy American statute: (i) Nonavailability. The head of the contracting activity may determine that a particular construction material is not mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States in…
  • FAR 28.105 Other types of bonds.
    The head of the contracting activity may approve using other types of bonds in connection with acquiring particular supplies or services. These types include advance payment bonds and patent infringement bonds.
  • FAR 28.106-2 Substitution of surety bonds.
    …on a bond previously approved may be substituted for the original bond if approved by the head of the contracting activity, or as otherwise specified in agency regulation. (b) When a new surety bond is approved, the contracting officer sha…
  • FAR 29.303 Application of State and local taxes to Government contractors and subcontractors.
    …at a contractor is an agent of the Government, the matter shall be referred to the agency head for review. The referral shall include all pertinent data on which the contention is based, together with a thorough analysis of all relevant leg…
  • FAR 33.104 Protests to GAO.
    …AO with the name, title, and telephone number of one or more officials (in both field and headquarters offices, if desired) whom the GAO may contact who are knowledgeable about the subject matter of the protest. Each agency shall be respons…
  • FAR 36.208 Concurrent performance of firm-fixed-price and other types of construction contracts.
    …firm-fixed-price, lump sum, or unit price contracts except with the prior approval of the head of the contracting activity.
  • FAR 36.301 Use of two-phase design-build selection procedures.
    …agency to manage the two-phase selection process. (vi) Other criteria established by the head of the contracting activity.
  • FAR 42.202 Assignment of contract administration.
    …nd under basic ordering agreements for items and services identified in the schedule, the head of the contracting activity or designee approves the delegation; and (3) The delegation does not require the CAO to undertake new or follow-on a…
  • FAR 52.203-10 Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity.
    …he amount of profit or fee determined as set forth in paragraph (b) of this clause if the head of the contracting activity or designee determines that there was a violation of 41 U.S.C. 2102 or 2103, as implemented in section 3.104 of the F…
  • FAR 52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest.
    …f this clause, the Contractor may submit a request through the Contracting Officer to the Head of the Contracting Activity for— (i) Agreement to a plan to mitigate the personal conflict of interest; or (ii) A waiver of the requirement. (…
  • FAR 52.209-13 Violation of Arms Control Treaties or Agreements—Certification.
    …(1) Check the table of contents of the annual unclassified report and the country section headings of the reports incorporated by reference to identify the foreign countries listed there. Determine whether the Offeror or any person owned or…
  • FAR 52.222-16 Approval of Wage Rates.
    …nics engaged in work under this contract must be submitted for approval in writing by the head of the contracting activity or a representative expressly designated for this purpose, if the straight time wages exceed the rates for correspond…
  • DFARS 209.270-4 Procedures.
    (a) The head of the design control activity shall— (1) Identify items that meet the criteria for designation as aviation or ship critical safety items. See additional information at PGI 209.270-4; (2) Approve qualification requirements in…
  • DFARS 212.302 Tailoring of provisions and clauses for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services.
    (c) Tailoring inconsistent with customary commercial practice. The head of the contracting activity is the approval authority within the DoD for waivers under FAR 12.302(c).

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.