FAR Companion Change

Back to FAR Companion

Summary

PART_53 updated: 3 lines added, 130 lines removed

Diff

--- previous
+++ current
@@ -1,133 +1,3 @@
-Part 53 - Forms ....................................................................................................................... 118
-3
-Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion
-Version Change Log
-Version Date Release Type Key Changes
-1.0 09/04/2025 Major Initial release of FAR Companion (FC) parts 1, 4, 5,
-6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35,
-36, 38, 39, 40, 43, 46, 49, 50, and 51.
-2.0 10/30/2025 Major Initial release of FAR Companion (FC) parts 2, 3, 7,
-13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27,
-30, 32, 37, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47, 48, 52, and 53;
-update to FC 8.104 pertaining to “required use”
-contracts and providing more information and
-resources on Category Management, including beta
-version content of the Category Management
-Buying Guide; update to FC 8.401 pertaining to
-evaluation factors; updates to FC 8.401(b) and FC
-12.301 removing references to debriefings; new
-annotation under FC 8.401(b) related to sole source
-justification content for FSS orders; new annotation
-under FC 12.001 related to contracting methods for
-commercial construction; update to FC 11.204 to
-clarify brand name or equal as distinct from brand
-name justifications under FAR 6.104; updates to
-thresholds referenced due to the October 1, 2025
-inflation adjustment rule; various citation corrections
-throughout; and changed “Reserved” to “No
-additional guidance” when the FAR Companion
-does not provide any practice recommendations for
-that associated FAR part.
-About the FAR Companion
-The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) is restoring common sense to
-Federal buying by eliminating rules from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) that are
-neither statutory nor essential to sound procurement. This management action, which is
-directed by Executive Order 14275 and OMB Memorandum M-25-26, is expected to result in the
-removal of well over 1,000 mandates from the FAR, allowing buyers to use their business
-judgment to determine when many governmentwide procurement policies and practices are
-suitable and how they are best implemented.
-The FAR Council has developed this FAR Companion to help acquisition officials exercise their
-discretion. The FAR Companion provides context, additional information, and practical advice
-for planning, awarding, managing, and closing out contracts, consistent with the FAR’s core
-buying principles.
-The FAR Companion is designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of federal buying
-by:
-4
-Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion
-● consolidating practitioner insights in one place from a variety of helpful sources (such as
-innovation and vendor engagement strategies, handbooks, training materials, and
-management memoranda) saving buyers time in finding and leveraging best practices;
-● preserving a number of policies and “how to” procedures formerly mandated in the pre-
-streamlined FAR that continue to reflect good stewardship but are more appropriately
-applied with discretion as part of problem-solving and are not a “one-size-fits-all”
-mandate;
-● building the confidence of the acquisition workforce to take managed risks, by providing
-advice – not direction – and avoiding compliance requirements that create a fear of
-protests; and
-● creating an agile and efficient governmentwide resource to highlight and evolve proven
-acquisition practices and reduce the amount of guidance needed from agencies.
-Chief Acquisition Officers (CAOs) and senior procurement executives (SPEs) should ensure the
-acquisition workforce becomes familiar with the FAR Companion and understands the FAR
-Companion is non-regulatory, contains no mandates, and is not intended to serve as the basis
-for protests or legal action.
-Members of the acquisition workforce and other acquisition stakeholders are strongly
-encouraged to work with their CAOs, SPEs, Heads of Contracting Activities, and acquisition
-innovation advocates to recommend improvements to the FAR Companion, with particular
-emphasis on agency developed best-practices that may be suitable for sharing more broadly
-across the government. OFPP will work with agencies to reduce the proliferation of disparate
-agency-level guidance and tools that duplicate coverage in the FAR Companion.
-The FAR Companion will work in concert with the FAR, agency supplements and the Category
-Management Buying Guide (which will highlight sector-specific buying tips for navigating
-governmentwide contracts) as the foundation for the new Strategic Acquisition Guidance
-framework. These resources – along with Practitioner Albums (tested learning tools for getting
-better contract outcomes), continued investment in workforce development, coaching support,
-collaborative learning experiences, and technology-enabled tools – will ease the transition from
-rigid compliance to judgment-based procurement practices and enable mission success through
-more timely, less costly, and more competitive buying that modern federal acquisition demands.
-FAR Companion Purpose
-This FAR Companion, structured to complement the streamlined FAR, implements FAR
-1.101(a)(3) to share best practices that empower acquisition professionals to:
-● maximize the flexibilities of the FAR,
-● apply sound judgment,
-● balance risk, and
-● effectively and efficiently deliver the mission.
-5
-Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion
-The FAR Companion, which will evolve, is intended to share the foundation of discretionary
-practice that complements the FAR.
-Novel approaches and innovative applications that comply with the FAR, even if not specifically
-referenced in the FAR Companion, are permissible and encouraged. Acquisition professionals
-are encouraged to share their tested practices and new approaches by contacting
-SAGTesting@gsa.gov or submitting them to the Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations
-(PTAI). The PTAI is a centralized repository of agency tested strategies and novel practices with
-artifacts for acquisition teams to use and exercise sound business judgment. The tool is
-designed to increase workforce and industry awareness of business techniques to encourage
-further testing, adoption, and adaptation consistent with the FAR, applicable law, and agency
-policy.
-Disclaimer
-The FAR Companion constitutes guidance and commentary intended to assist practitioners in
-understanding the FAR and related procurement principles. This guide does not constitute
-mandatory compliance requirements. Adherence or non-adherence to the advice, instructions,
-explanations, or interpretations provided within the guide is not intended to carry legal authority
-nor intended to serve as the basis for protests or legal actions. Consistent with FAR part
-1.102(a)(7), the contracting officer must have the authority, to the maximum extent practicable
-and consistent with law, to determine how and when to apply rules, regulations, and policies on
-a specific contract.
-How to Navigate the FAR Companion
-Organization Structure
-The FAR Companion mirrors the structure of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to make
-finding guidance intuitive and straightforward.
-1. FAR Companion Parts Match the FAR
-● Each FAR Companion part corresponds directly to a FAR part.
-● This parallel structure helps you quickly locate relevant guidance.
-2. Annotations Within Each Part
-● Each FAR Companion part contains annotations that provide:
-○ Key principles.
-○ Proven practices.
-○ Explanatory material.
-○ Implementation guidance.
-6
-Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion
-3. Citation System
-● Each FAR Companion annotation has a numbered citation (e.g., FC 12.3, FC 31.204)
-that matches the FAR citation (e.g., part, subpart, section, subsection).
-● The FAR Companion citation tells you which FAR citation the annotation supports.
-● Multiple FAR Companion annotations may reference the same FAR citation.
-● FC XX.000 citations apply to the entire FAR part. Think of these annotations as big-
-picture guidance for the whole FAR part.
-Quick Navigation Tips
-1. Know your FAR reference: Start with the section of the FAR you're working with.
-2. Find the matching FAR Companion citation(s): Look for the same citation(s) in the
-FAR Companion (FC).
-3. Check for FC XX.000 guidance first: Review any overarching guidance for context.
-4. Look for specific guidance: Find annotations with citations matching your FAR section.+Part 53 - Forms
+No additional guidance.
+118