Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the single rulebook that governs how the U.S. federal government buys goods and services. It is Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and every federal contract is subject to it.

What is Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)?

The FAR is the set of rules that controls how federal executive agencies buy everything from office supplies to aircraft carriers. It has 53 parts and runs over 2,000 pages. The FAR applies to both sides of the table. Contracting officers must follow it when they solicit, evaluate, and award work, and contractors must comply with the FAR clauses that get written into their contracts.

Different parts of the FAR cover different topics. Part 6 sets competition rules, Part 12 covers commercial products and services, Part 13 covers small simplified purchases, Part 15 covers negotiated procurements, Part 16 defines contract types, and Part 52 holds the standard clauses that appear in solicitations and contracts. When an agency releases an rfp, the document is built on these FAR rules, so knowing them tells you what to expect and how your proposal will be judged.

Why FAR matters for government contractors

The FAR decides whether you can even bid and how you will be scored. If a solicitation cites FAR Part 12, the proposal is simpler and the compliance burden is lighter. Part 15 procurements use Sections L and M to tell you what to submit and how it will be evaluated. The same FAR clauses also flow down into a multi-award vehicle like an idiq, so you stay on the hook for them across every task order. Reading the FAR references in a solicitation early is the fastest way to make a sound go or no-go decision.

Example

A small IT firm finds a solicitation that cites FAR Part 15 and lists clause 52.219-6, the Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. Because the firm qualifies as a small business, it can compete. The team reads Section M, sees that technical approach is weighted more heavily than price, and builds the proposal around quality and past performance rather than the lowest bid. You can capture every cited FAR clause in a compliance-matrix so nothing is missed before submission. For a deeper walkthrough, see our FAR guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the FAR a law or a regulation?

The FAR is a regulation, codified as Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. It carries the force of rules that implement federal procurement statutes. Both agencies and contractors are bound by it.

Does the FAR apply to every federal contract?

Yes. The FAR is the baseline for all federal executive agency contracts. Some agencies layer their own supplements on top, such as the DFARS for Department of Defense contracts, which adds roughly 1,200 more pages of rules.

What is FAR Part 52?

Part 52 is the clause library. Every clause that appears in a federal contract originates here, and each one has a number such as 52.212-4 or 52.219-6. When a solicitation says certain clauses apply, it lists those Part 52 numbers.

How does the FAR affect how my proposal is scored?

Under FAR Part 15, Section M lays out the evaluation factors and their relative importance. If the solicitation says technical quality matters more than price, you should invest in a strong technical proposal. If all factors are roughly equal, price becomes more important.

What is the difference between LPTA and best value?

Both are source selection methods under FAR Part 15. Lowest Price Technically Acceptable means the lowest-priced offer that meets the minimum requirements wins. Best value trade-off lets the agency pay more for a technically superior proposal.