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FAR Clause ACTIVE

52.211-7

Alternatives to Government-unique standards.
View on acquisition.gov · View on eCFR.gov
Effective Date
NOV 1999
Active Deviations
1
Versions
1 (since 2017-01-01)
RFO
RFO Removes This Clause

The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul marks this clause as [Reserved]. The clause content below is as it appears in the most recent eCFR data, which has not yet incorporated the RFO. For contracts using the RFO model, this clause is removed.

View RFO reservation
DEV
This clause is modified by 1 active class deviation
  • 2026-O0013 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 11)
    Add clause 52.211-7
View per-deviation details →
52.211-7 Alternatives to Government-unique standards.

As prescribed in 11.107(b), insert the following provision:

Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards (NOV 1999)

(a) This solicitation includes Government-unique standards. The offeror may propose voluntary consensus standards that meet the Government's requirements as alternatives to the Government-unique standards. The Government will accept use of the voluntary consensus standard instead of the Government-unique standard if it meets the Government's requirements unless inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical.

(b) If an alternative standard is proposed, the offeror must furnish data and/or information regarding the alternative in sufficient detail for the Government to determine if it meets the Government's requirements. Acceptance of the alternative standard is a unilateral decision made solely at the discretion of the Government.

(c) Offers that do not comply with the Government-unique standards specified in this solicitation may be determined to be nonresponsive or unacceptable. The offeror may submit an offer that complies with the Government-unique standards specified in this solicitation, in addition to any proposed alternative standard(s).

(End of provision)

[64 FR 51853, Sept. 24, 1999]
RFO
Prescription superseded under the RFO

The prescription shown below is from the codified eCFR. The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul relocates this clause's prescription as follows:

  • 211.107211.271-1 (prescriptive text also revised)

See the deviation memorandum for the current prescription authority.

View deviation: 2026-O0013 →

R-DFARS Prescription Source

This clause is prescribed in the R-DFARS by the following deviation:

  • 2026-O0013 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 11) (DFARS Part 211)
    Add clause 52.211-7
11.107(b)
(b) Insert the provision at 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, in solicitations that use Government-unique standards when the agency uses the transaction-based reporting method to report its use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (see OMB Circular A-119, "Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities"). Use of the provision is optional for agencies that report their use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology using the categorical reporting method. Agencies that manage their specifications on a contract-by-contract basis use the transaction-based method of reporting. Agencies that manage their specifications centrally use the categorical method of reporting. Agency regulations regarding specification management describe which method is used.

DFARS Supplementary Guidance

211.107
(b) To comply with section 875(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-328), use the provision at FAR 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, in DoD solicitations that include military or Government-unique specifications and standards.
Prescription data sourced from eCFR as of 2026-06-10 03:16 UTC. Cross-references within the prescription are not resolved automatically.

Regulatory Stack

The layers of regulation that govern this clause, from the FAR prescription through agency-specific supplements and any active deviations.

RFO RFO Version Overhauled clause text
The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul publishes a revised version of this clause. See the RFO Version tab for the controlling authority under the RFO model.

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R-DFARS R-DFARS Prescription Per Deviation 2026-O0013 (DFARS Part 211)
2026-O0013: DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 11) — DFARS Part 211

View Deviation 2026-O0013 →

FAR FAR Prescription ⚠ May be superseded by RFO 11.107(b)
(b) Insert the provision at 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, in solicitations that use Government-unique standards when the agency uses the transaction-based reporting method to report its use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (see OMB Circular A-119, "Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities"). Use of the provision is optional for agencies that report their use of voluntary consensus standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology using the categorical reporting method. Agencies that manage their specifications on a contract-by-contract basis use the transaction-based method of reporting. Agencies that manage their specifications centrally use the categorical method of reporting. Agency regulations regarding specification management describe which method is used.

View on acquisition.gov · View on eCFR.gov

DFARS DFARS Supplement (eCFR) ⚠ May be superseded by RFO 211.107
(b) To comply with section 875(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-328), use the provision at FAR 52.211-7, Alternatives to Government-Unique Standards, in DoD solicitations that include military or Government-unique specifications and standards.

Search on acquisition.gov · View on eCFR.gov

Version History

Version history is sourced from the codified eCFR. Changes published only as class deviations or by the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul do not appear here until they are incorporated into the eCFR. For RFO-driven changes see the RFO Version tab and any active deviations cited above.

No version history available from eCFR.

RFO Version

Comparison of the codified eCFR text against the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul revision. Highlights show additions (green) and deletions (red, struck through).

Clause Text

RFO marks this clause as Reserved. The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul removed this clause under the overhauled FAR model. The eCFR text on the Current Text tab remains in force for contracts not using the RFO model.
Applied to DoD contracts via Class Deviation 2026-O0013 (effective 2026-02-01) .

Prescription

RFO prescription not available. See the eCFR prescription on the Prescription tab.

Source: acquisition.gov RFO Part 52

Active Class Deviations

DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 11) Add clause 52.211-7
MODIFIED
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