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FAR Clause ACTIVE

52.232-32

Performance-Based Payments.
View on acquisition.gov · View on eCFR.gov
Effective Date
APR 2012
Active Deviations
2
Versions
1 (since 2017-01-01)
RFO
RFO Version Available

The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul has published a revised version of this clause. The RFO version supersedes the eCFR text below for contracts using the RFO model; see the RFO deviation for applicability.

View RFO version
DEV
This clause is modified by 2 active class deviations
  • 2026-O0043 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 4)
    Add clause 52.232-32
  • 2026-O0022 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 32)
    Add clause 52.232-32
View per-deviation details →
52.232-32 Performance-Based Payments.

As prescribed in 32.1005, insert the following clause:

Performance-Based Payments (APR 2012)

(a)
Amount of payments and limitations on payments.
Subject to such other limitations and conditions as are specified in this contract and this clause, the amount of payments and limitations on payments shall be specified in the contract's description of the basis for payment.

(b)
Contractor request for performance-based payment.
The Contractor may submit requests for payment of performance-based payments not more frequently than monthly, in a form and manner acceptable to the Contracting Officer. Unless otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer, all performance-based payments in any period for which payment is being requested shall be included in a single request, appropriately itemized and totaled. The Contractor's request shall contain the information and certification detailed in paragraphs (l) and (m) of this clause.

(c)
Approval and payment of requests.
(1) The Contractor shall not be entitled to payment of a request for performance-based payment prior to successful accomplishment of the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested. The Contracting Officer shall determine whether the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested has been successfully accomplished in accordance with the terms of the contract. The Contracting Officer may, at any time, require the Contractor to substantiate the successful performance of any event or performance criterion which has been or is represented as being payable.

(2) A payment under this performance-based payment clause is a contract financing payment under the Prompt Payment clause of this contract and not subject to the interest penalty provisions of the Prompt Payment Act. The designated payment office will pay approved requests on the _____ [
Contracting Officer insert day as prescribed by agency head; if not prescribed, insert "30th"
] day after receipt of the request for performance-based payment by the designated payment office. However, the designated payment office is not required to provide payment if the Contracting Officer requires substantiation as provided in paragraph (c)(1) of this clause, or inquires into the status of an event or performance criterion, or into any of the conditions listed in paragraph (a) of this clause, or into the Contractor certification. The payment period will not begin until the Contracting Officer approves the request.

(3) The approval by the Contracting Officer of a request for performance-based payment does not constitute an acceptance by the Government and does not excuse the Contractor from performance of obligations under this contract.

(d)
Liquidation of performance-based payments.
(1) Performance-based finance amounts paid prior to payment for delivery of an item shall be liquidated by deducting a percentage or a designated dollar amount from the delivery payment. If the performance-based finance payments are on a delivery item basis, the liquidation amount for each such line item shall be the percent of that delivery item price that was previously paid under performance-based finance payments or the designated dollar amount. If the performance-based finance payments are on a whole contract basis, liquidation shall be by either predesignated liquidation amounts or a liquidation percentage.

(2) If at any time the amount of payments under this contract exceeds any limitation in this contract, the Contractor shall repay to the Government the excess. Unless otherwise determined by the Contracting Officer, such excess shall be credited as a reduction in the unliquidated performance-based payment balance(s), after adjustment of invoice payments and balances for any retroactive price adjustments.

(e)
Reduction or suspension of performance-based payments.
The Contracting Officer may reduce or suspend performance-based payments, liquidate performance-based payments by deduction from any payment under the contract, or take a combination of these actions after finding upon substantial evidence any of the following conditions:

(1) The Contractor failed to comply with any material requirement of this contract (which includes paragraphs (h) and (i) of this clause).

(2) Performance of this contract is endangered by the Contractor's (i) failure to make progress, or (ii) unsatisfactory financial condition.

(3) The Contractor is delinquent in payment of any subcontractor or supplier under this contract in the ordinary course of business.

(f)
Title.
(1) Title to the property described in this paragraph (f) shall vest in the Government. Vestiture shall be immediately upon the date of the first performance-based payment under this contract, for property acquired or produced before that date. Otherwise, vestiture shall occur when the property is or should have been allocable or properly chargeable to this contract.

(2)
Property,
as used in this clause, includes all of the following described items acquired or produced by the Contractor that are or should be allocable or properly chargeable to this contract under sound and generally accepted accounting principles and practices:

(i) Parts, materials, inventories, and work in process;

(ii) Special tooling and special test equipment to which the Government is to acquire title;

(iii) Nondurable (i.e., noncapital) tools, jigs, dies, fixtures, molds, patterns, taps, gauges, test equipment and other similar manufacturing aids, title to which would not be obtained as special tooling under subparagraph (f)(2)(ii) of this clause; and

(iv) Drawings and technical data, to the extent the Contractor or subcontractors are required to deliver them to the Government by other clauses of this contract.

(3) Although title to property is in the Government under this clause, other applicable clauses of this contract (e.g., the termination clauses) shall determine the handling and disposition of the property.

(4) The Contractor may sell any scrap resulting from production under this contract, without requesting the Contracting Officer's approval, provided that any significant reduction in the value of the property to which the Government has title under this clause is reported in writing to the Contracting Officer.

(5) In order to acquire for its own use or dispose of property to which title is vested in the Government under this clause, the Contractor shall obtain the Contracting Officer's advance approval of the action and the terms. If approved, the basis for payment (the events or performance criteria) to which the property is related shall be deemed to be not in compliance with the terms of the contract and not payable (if the property is part of or needed for performance), and the Contractor shall refund the related performance-based payments in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause.

(6) When the Contractor completes all of the obligations under this contract, including liquidation of all performance-based payments, title shall vest in the Contractor for all property (or the proceeds thereof) not—

(i) Delivered to, and accepted by, the Government under this contract; or

(ii) Incorporated in supplies delivered to, and accepted by, the Government under this contract and to which title is vested in the Government under this clause.

(7) The terms of this contract concerning liability for Government-furnished property shall not apply to property to which the Government acquired title solely under this clause.

(g)
Risk of loss.
Before delivery to and acceptance by the Government, the Contractor shall bear the risk of loss for property, the title to which vests in the Government under this clause, except to the extent the Government expressly assumes the risk. If any property is lost (see 45.101), the basis of payment (the events or performance criteria) to which the property is related shall be deemed to be not in compliance with the terms of the contract and not payable (if the property is part of or needed for performance), and the Contractor shall refund the related performance-based payments in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause.

(h)
Records and controls.
The Contractor shall maintain records and controls adequate for administration of this clause. The Contractor shall have no entitlement to performance-based payments during any time the Contractor's records or controls are determined by the Contracting Officer to be inadequate for administration of this clause.

(i)
Reports and Government access.
The Contractor shall promptly furnish reports, certificates, financial statements, and other pertinent information requested by the Contracting Officer for the administration of this clause and to determine that an event or other criterion prompting a financing payment has been successfully accomplished. The Contractor shall give the Government reasonable opportunity to examine and verify the Contractor's records and to examine and verify the Contractor's performance of this contract for administration of this clause.

(j)
Special terms regarding default.
If this contract is terminated under the Default clause, (1) the Contractor shall, on demand, repay to the Government the amount of unliquidated performance-based payments, and (2) title shall vest in the Contractor, on full liquidation of all performance-based payments, for all property for which the Government elects not to require delivery under the Default clause of this contract. The Government shall be liable for no payment except as provided by the Default clause.

(k)
Reservation of rights.
(1) No payment or vesting of title under this clause shall (i) excuse the Contractor from performance of obligations under this contract, or (ii) constitute a waiver of any of the rights or remedies of the parties under the contract.

(2) The Government's rights and remedies under this clause (i) shall not be exclusive, but rather shall be in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law or this contract, and (ii) shall not be affected by delayed, partial, or omitted exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege, nor shall such exercise or any single exercise preclude or impair any further exercise under this clause or the exercise of any other right, power, or privilege of the Government.

(l)
Content of Contractor's request for performance-based payment.
The Contractor's request for performance-based payment shall contain the following:

(1) The name and address of the Contractor;

(2) The date of the request for performance-based payment;

(3) The contract number and/or other identifier of the contract or order under which the request is made;

(4) Such information and documentation as is required by the contract's description of the basis for payment; and

(5) A certification by a Contractor official authorized to bind the Contractor, as specified in paragraph (m) of this clause.

(m)
Content of Contractor's certification.
As required in paragraph (l)(5) of this clause, the Contractor shall make the following certification in each request for performance-based payment:

I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that—

(1) This request for performance-based payment is true and correct; this request (and attachments) has been prepared from the books and records of the Contractor, in accordance with the contract and the instructions of the Contracting Officer;

(2) (Except as reported in writing on _______), all payments to subcontractors and suppliers under this contract have been paid, or will be paid, currently, when due in the ordinary course of business;

(3) There are no encumbrances (except as reported in writing on _______) against the property acquired or produced for, and allocated or properly chargeable to, the contract which would affect or impair the Government's title;

(4) There has been no materially adverse change in the financial condition of the Contractor since the submission by the Contractor to the Government of the most recent written information dated _______; and

(5) After the making of this requested performance-based payment, the amount of all payments for each deliverable item for which performance-based payments have been requested will not exceed any limitation in the contract, and the amount of all payments under the contract will not exceed any limitation in the contract.

(End of clause)

[60 FR 49718, Sept. 26, 1995, as amended at 62 FR 12720, Mar. 17, 1997; 66 FR 65367, Dec. 18, 2001; 72 FR 73222, Dec. 26, 2007; 75 FR 38681, July 2, 2010; 77 FR 12944, Mar. 2, 2012]
RFO
Prescription superseded under the RFO

The prescription shown below is from the codified eCFR. Under the RFO, the prescribing section may have been revised, relocated or reserved. See the deviation memorandum for the current prescription authority.

View deviation: 2026-O0043 → · View deviation: 2026-O0022 →

R-DFARS Prescription Source

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

  • 2026-O0043 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 4) (DFARS Part 204)
    Add clause 52.232-32
  • 2026-O0022 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 32) (DFARS Part 232)
    Add clause 52.232-32
32.1005
(a) Insert the clause at 52.232-32, Performance-Based Payments, in-

(1) Solicitations that may result in contracts providing for performance-based payments; and

(2) Fixed-price contracts under which the Government will provide performance-based payments.

(b)
(1) Insert the solicitation provision at 52.232-28, invitation to Propose Performance-Based Payments, in negotiated solicitations that invite offerors to propose performance-based payments.

(2) Use the provision with its Alternate I in competitive negotiated solicitations if the Government intends to adjust proposed prices for proposal evaluation purposes (see 32.1004(e)).
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.

Search on acquisition.gov

R-DFARS R-DFARS Prescription Per Deviation 2026-O0043 (DFARS Part 204/232)
2026-O0043: DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 4) — DFARS Part 204
2026-O0022: DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 32) — DFARS Part 232

View Deviation 2026-O0043 → · View Deviation 2026-O0022 →

FAR FAR Prescription ⚠ May be superseded by RFO 32.1005
(a) Insert the clause at 52.232-32, Performance-Based Payments, in-

(1) Solicitations that may result in contracts providing for performance-based payments; and

(2) Fixed-price contracts under which the Government will provide performance-based payments.

(b)
(1) Insert the solicitation provision at 52.232-28, invitation to Propose Performance-Based Payments, in negotiated solicitations that invite offerors to propose performance-based payments.

(2) Use the provision with its Alternate I in competitive negotiated solicitations if the Government intends to adjust proposed prices for proposal evaluation purposes (see 32.1004(e)).

View 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

Minor revisions. The RFO version has formatting or editorial changes from the eCFR text.
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
Unchanged
52.232-32 Performance-Based Payments.
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
88 removed
(c)
(c) Approval and payment of requests. (1) The Contractor shall not be entitled to payment of a request for performance-based payment prior to successful accomplishment of the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested. The Contracting Officer shall determine whether the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested has been successfully accomplished in accordance with the terms of the contract. The Contracting Officer may, at any time, require the Contractor to substantiate the successful performance of any event or performance criterion which has been or is represented as being payable.
(c)
(c) Approval and payment of requests.
67 added, 119 removed
(2)
(2) A payment under this performance-based payment clause is a contract financing payment under the Prompt Payment clause of this contract and not subject to the interest penalty provisions of the Prompt Payment Act. The designated payment office will pay approved requests on the _____ [Contracting Officer insert day as prescribed by agency head; if not prescribed, insert "30th"] day after receipt of the request for performance-based payment by the designated payment office. However, the designated payment office is not required to provide payment if the Contracting Officer requires substantiation as provided in paragraph (c)(1) of this clause, or inquires into the status of an event or performance criterion, or into any of the conditions listed in paragraph (a) of this clause, or into the Contractor certification. The payment period will not begin until the Contracting Officer approves the request.
(2)
(1) The Contractor shall not be entitled to payment of a request for performance-based payment prior to successful accomplishment of the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested. The Contracting Officer shall determine whether the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested has been successfully accomplished in accordance with the terms of the contract. The Contracting Officer may, at any time, require the Contractor to substantiate the successful performance of any event or performance criterion which has been or is represented as being payable.
140 added
(2)
(2)
(2) A payment under this performance-based payment clause is a contract financing payment under the Prompt Payment clause of this contract and not subject to the interest penalty provisions of the Prompt Payment Act. The designated payment office will pay approved requests on the _________ [Contracting Officer insert day as prescribed by agency head; if not prescribed, insert "30th"] day after receipt of the request for performance-based payment by the designated payment office. However, the designated payment office is not required to provide payment if the Contracting Officer requires substantiation as provided in paragraph (c)(1) of this clause, or inquires into the status of an event or performance criterion, or into any of the conditions listed in paragraph (a) of this clause, or into the Contractor certification. The payment period will not begin until the Contracting Officer approves the request.
93 removed
(d)
(d) Liquidation of performance-based payments. (1) Performance-based finance amounts paid prior to payment for delivery of an item shall be liquidated by deducting a percentage or a designated dollar amount from the delivery payment. If the performance-based finance payments are on a delivery item basis, the liquidation amount for each such line item shall be the percent of that delivery item price that was previously paid under performance-based finance payments or the designated dollar amount. If the performance-based finance payments are on a whole contract basis, liquidation shall be by either predesignated liquidation amounts or a liquidation percentage.
(d)
(d) Liquidation of performance-based payments.
93 added
(1)
(1)
(1) Performance-based finance amounts paid prior to payment for delivery of an item shall be liquidated by deducting a percentage or a designated dollar amount from the delivery payment. If the performance-based finance payments are on a delivery item basis, the liquidation amount for each such line item shall be the percent of that delivery item price that was previously paid under performance-based finance payments or the designated dollar amount. If the performance-based finance payments are on a whole contract basis, liquidation shall be by either predesignated liquidation amounts or a liquidation percentage.
1 added, 11 removed
(2)
(2) Performance of this contract is endangered by the Contractor's (i) failure to make progress, or (ii) unsatisfactory financial condition.
(2)
(2) Performance of this contract is endangered by the Contractor’s-
6 added
(i)
(i)
(i) Failure to make progress; or
4 added
(ii)
(ii)
(ii) Unsatisfactory financial condition.
57 removed
(f)
(f) Title. (1) Title to the property described in this paragraph (f) shall vest in the Government. Vestiture shall be immediately upon the date of the first performance-based payment under this contract, for property acquired or produced before that date. Otherwise, vestiture shall occur when the property is or should have been allocable or properly chargeable to this contract.
(f)
(f) Title.
41 added, 25 removed
(2)
(2) Property, as used in this clause, includes all of the following described items acquired or produced by the Contractor that are or should be allocable or properly chargeable to this contract under sound and generally accepted accounting principles and practices:
(2)
(1) Title to the property described in this paragraph (f) shall vest in the Government. Vestiture shall be immediately upon the date of the first performance-based payment under this contract, for property acquired or produced before that date. Otherwise, vestiture shall occur when the property is or should have been allocable or properly chargeable to this contract.
41 added
(2)
(2)
(2) "Property," as used in this clause, includes all of the following described items acquired or produced by the Contractor that are or should be allocable or properly chargeable to this contract under sound and generally accepted accounting principles and practices:
1 added, 1 removed
(iii)
(iii) Nondurable (i.e., noncapital) tools, jigs, dies, fixtures, molds, patterns, taps, gauges, test equipment and other similar manufacturing aids, title to which would not be obtained as special tooling under subparagraph (f)(2)(ii) of this clause; and
(iii)
(iii) Nondurable (i.e., noncapital) tools, jigs, dies, fixtures, molds, patterns, taps, gauges, test equipment and other similar manufacturing aids, title to which would not be obtained as special tooling under paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this clause; and
40 removed
(k)
(k) Reservation of rights. (1) No payment or vesting of title under this clause shall (i) excuse the Contractor from performance of obligations under this contract, or (ii) constitute a waiver of any of the rights or remedies of the parties under the contract.
(k)
(k) Reservation of rights.
8 added, 78 removed
(2)
(2) The Government's rights and remedies under this clause (i) shall not be exclusive, but rather shall be in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law or this contract, and (ii) shall not be affected by delayed, partial, or omitted exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege, nor shall such exercise or any single exercise preclude or impair any further exercise under this clause or the exercise of any other right, power, or privilege of the Government.
(2)
(1) No payment or vesting of title under this clause shall-
12 added
(i)
(i)
(i) Excuse the Contractor from performance of obligations under this contract; or
17 added
(ii)
(ii)
(ii) Constitute a waiver of any of the rights or remedies of the parties under the contract.
9 added
(2)
(2)
(2) The Government’s rights and remedies under this clause-
24 added
(i)
(i)
(i) Shall not be exclusive, but rather shall be in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law or this contract; and
48 added
(ii)
(ii)
(ii) Shall not be affected by delayed, partial, or omitted exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege, nor shall such exercise or any single exercise preclude or impair any further exercise under this clause or the exercise of any other right, power, or privilege of the Government.
1 added, 1 removed
(2)
(2) (Except as reported in writing on _______), all payments to subcontractors and suppliers under this contract have been paid, or will be paid, currently, when due in the ordinary course of business;
(2)
(2) (Except as reported in writing on __________), all payments to subcontractors and suppliers under this contract have been paid, or will be paid, currently, when due in the ordinary course of business;
1 added, 1 removed
(3)
(3) There are no encumbrances (except as reported in writing on _______) against the property acquired or produced for, and allocated or properly chargeable to, the contract which would affect or impair the Government's title;
(3)
(3) There are no encumbrances (except as reported in writing on _________) against the property acquired or produced for, and allocated or properly chargeable to, the contract which would affect or impair the Government's title;
1 added, 1 removed
(4)
(4) There has been no materially adverse change in the financial condition of the Contractor since the submission by the Contractor to the Government of the most recent written information dated _______; and
(4)
(4) There has been no materially adverse change in the financial condition of the Contractor since the submission by the Contractor to the Government of the most recent written information dated _____________; and
39 removed
[60 FR 49718, Sept. 26, 1995, as amended at 62 FR 12720, Mar. 17, 1997; 66 FR 65367, Dec. 18, 2001; 72 FR 73222, Dec. 26, 2007; 75 FR 38681, July 2, 2010; 77 FR 12944, Mar. 2, 2012]
Applied to DoD contracts via Class Deviation 2026-O0043 (effective 2026-02-17), Class Deviation 2026-O0022 (effective 2026-02-01) .

Prescription

Substantive changes. The RFO prescription differs materially from the eCFR prescription.
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
Unchanged
52.232-32 Performance-Based Payments.: Prescription
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
57 added, 4 removed
(a)
(a) Insert the clause at 52.232-32, Performance-Based Payments, in-
(a)
(f) When financing payments are in the form of performance-based payments, the Performance-Based Payments clause at 52.232-32 requires that the subcontract terms include the substance of the Performance-Based Payments clause, modified to indicate that the contractor, not the Government, awards the subcontract and administers the performance-based payments, and include appropriately worded modifications similar to those noted in paragraph (e) of this section.
12 removed
(1)
(1) Solicitations that may result in contracts providing for performance-based payments; and
(1)
11 removed
(2)
(2) Fixed-price contracts under which the Government will provide performance-based payments.
(2)
23 removed
(b)
(b) (1) Insert the solicitation provision at 52.232-28, invitation to Propose Performance-Based Payments, in negotiated solicitations that invite offerors to propose performance-based payments.
(b)
26 removed
(2)
(2) Use the provision with its Alternate I in competitive negotiated solicitations if the Government intends to adjust proposed prices for proposal evaluation purposes (see 32.1004(e)).
(2)

Source: acquisition.gov RFO Part 52 · Prescribing Part 32

Active Class Deviations

DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 4) Add clause 52.232-32
MODIFIED
DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 32) Add clause 52.232-32
MODIFIED

Related Clauses

Referenced by

52.232-16 52.232-28
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