FAR Training Offerings & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Explore our wide range of FAR training programs below and find the perfect course to meet your requirements!
FUN with the FAR℠
26 Bi-Weekly sessions that cover the entire FAR! All sessions are 90-minutes long, and will be on alternating Wednesdays from 12:00-1:30pm ET
FUN with the FAR℠ makes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) accessible and engaging for contracting professionals. Delivered in a talk-show format, it features interactive discussions, expert insights, and resources like study guides, trivia, and prizes. All sessions are recorded for on-demand access! Participants gain practical skills to navigate the FAR, ensuring compliance and successful contract management.
Click here to register for FUN with the FAR℠ 2025!
DFUN with the DFARS℠
Monthly 90-minute sessions that are hosted on the second Thursday of the month, from 12:00-1:30pm ET
This dynamic training makes the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) approachable for all levels of contracting professionals. Delivered in a radio-show format with real-time Q&A, it teaches efficient navigation of DFARS clauses and procedures to ensure compliance and successful DoD contracts. Sessions are interactive, recorded for on-demand access, and include fun prizes to encourage participation!
May The Clause Be With You℠
20 Short and Focused 60-minute sessions; Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00pm ET.
Join our bi-weekly webinar where our expert instructors will highlight the “How” and “Why” of important FAR and DFARS Clauses! These sessions will break down crucial but often misused FAR contract clauses, in an easy-to-digest format. You’ll learn when and how to use these clauses in government contracts and subcontracts, covering topics like ethics, cybersecurity, pricing, and more. Each session includes a live Q&A and will be available for on-demand replay. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to have fun and raise the level of your FAR Clause knowledge from Padawan to Master!
May The Clause Be With You℠ is hosted every other year and will return in 2026!
The FAR Workshop: Practical Applications and More
3 Days, 10:00am – 2:30pm ET
An in-depth workshop with George Mason University, designed to provide participants with hands-on experience and practical insights into FAR compliance and application.
- January 29-31, 2025
- May 13-15, 2025
- September 30 – October 2, 2025
- Federal Acquisition Regulations Training Express
Two 3-hour sessions, 12:00-3:00pm ET Take a ride on the FAR Express as we journey through the procurement life cycle, stopping at key stages like acquisition planning, solicitation preparation, bid submission, evaluation, contract award, protests, administration, and termination. This is a condensed training program designed for busy professionals needing quick and effective FAR insights where we will cover essential FAR parts to ensure you understand the full process.Click here to learn more and register! Introduction to FAR Flowdowns
Two-hour session; 2:00-4:00pm ET
This course will introduce the FAR flow downs, including why clauses need to be flowed down and how to navigate through FAR and its prescriptions, provisions, and clauses. We briefly discuss supplements to the FAR including DFARS and the structure of a prime contract. Finally, we will focus on the types of flow down clauses including some examples to illustrate the information provided in this session.
Click here to learn more and register!
GovCon 101: The FAR Process
75-minute session; 1:00pm-2:15pm ET
An accelerated course designed to equip government contractors with essential FAR knowledge and compliance strategies. Join David Drabkin as he discusses the FAR, it’s origins, and the process by which acquisition rules are added to the FAR.
Click here to learn more and register!
GovCon 101: 10 Key FAR Clauses
75-minute session; 1:00pm-2:15pm ET
With over 600 FAR contract clauses, it can be challenging to identify which ones matter most to government customers. This session, led by expert David Gallacher, will cover ten common FAR clauses that pose heightened compliance obligations for contractors or provide the government with unexpected rights. Topics include contract changes, disputes, sourcing restrictions, cybersecurity, and cost analysis. Join us to learn about these critical clauses and stay ahead of compliance challenges.
Click here to watch the most recent recording of this program!
GovCon 101: The FAR
75-minute session; 1:00pm-2:15pm ET
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is an exceedingly-complex document; but it is also the primary regulation which governs most federal agency procurements. The FAR’s purpose is to ensure the government’s procurement procedures are consistent, and conducted in an impartial manner, while fairly balancing risks between the government and the contractor. Knowing what’s in the FAR, and how it’s organized, is essential for all contracting professionals.
Click here to watch the most recent recording of this program!
GovCon 101: The DFARS
75-minute session; 1:00pm-2:15pm ET
The FAR covers the basic rules of Government Contracting – but the Department of Defense has needs that differ from the rest of the Government. Enter, the DFARS! The DFARS is a collection of deviations from the FAR’s normal that cover how contracting with the largest subsection of the United State’s government. If you want to contract with DoD, then you must be familiar with this volume. Join Dave Drabkin has he covers the very basics of this important topic!
Click here to watch the most recent recording of this program!
Don’t just learn the rules, master them and transform your contracting capabilities today!
To learn more about our FAR training programs or to schedule a customized in-house training session for your team, please contact us at 202-775-7240 or [email protected]
Federal Acquisition Regulation FAQ
What is the FAR?
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is a comprehensive set of rules and regulations that govern how executive agencies of the U.S. federal government purchase supplies and services through contracts. It also offers guidance to contractors on marketing and selling their products and services to the government. The FAR is codified and published in Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations (48 CFR), specifically Chapter 1.
The FAR aims to deliver the best value goods and services to end users in a timely manner and at a reasonable price. It emphasizes that acquisition teams, which include both government personnel and industry partners, should use their judgment and experience. As long as something is not explicitly prohibited by the FAR, it is permitted.
The FAR applies to direct procurements, meaning contracts for goods and services the government is buying. It generally does not apply to:
- Grants
- Cooperative agreements
- “Other transaction” agreements, although agencies can choose to use FAR provisions and clauses in these agreements
- State and local government spending of federal grant money
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), which sits within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), was established by Congress to create and manage the FAR system. The FAR Council is responsible for issuing and revising the FAR. The FAR Council consists of three voting members:
- Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA)
- Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Secretary of Defense (DoD)
Two subordinate councils report to the FAR Council:
- The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC), chaired by GSA, represents civilian agencies and advises on FAR changes.
- The Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council (DARC), chaired by DoD, advises on FAR changes related to defense and, as of September 2024, no longer includes NASA.
Individual agencies can issue supplements to the FAR, called agency supplements, to implement agency-specific requirements. Agency supplements should not contradict the FAR.
Changes to the FAR are subject to a public notice and comment period, typically 60 days. This process is exempt from the rulemaking procedures outlined in the Administrative Procedures Act of 1946 (APA). Changes to the FAR are implemented through:
- Proposed rules
- Interim rules
- Final rules
These are published in the Federal Register. Interim changes to the FAR are published as Federal Acquisition Circulars (FACs) until they are permanently incorporated into the FAR.
Anyone can suggest changes to the FAR by contacting:
- The administrator of OFPP
- FAR signatories
However, it is uncommon for public requests to lead to changes in the FAR [9]. Once the FAR Council approves a rule, it goes through several reviews:
- OFPP reviews the rule for consistency with presidential policies.
- The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), within OMB, reviews for compliance with presidential policies.
- The FAR Secretariat at GSA conducts a final review and formats the rule before sending it to the Federal Register.
The Federal Register publishes the rule in an online “reading room” a day before official publication.
The FAR is organized into 53 parts, subdivided into subparts, sections, and subsections.
- Parts 1-51 (about half of the FAR) cover substantive procurement policies and procedures, organized by topic. For example:
- Part 6: Competition requirements
- Part 7: Acquisition planning
- Part 8: Required sources of supplies and services
- Part 9: Contractor qualifications
- Part 12: Acquisition of commercial products and commercial services
- Part 13: Simplified acquisition procedures
- Part 15: Contracting by negotiation
- Part 16: Contract types
- Part 19: Small business programs
- Part 22: Labor laws
- Part 27: Patents and data rights
- Part 30: Cost accounting standards
- Part 31: Cost principles
- Part 32: Contract finance
- Part 33: Protests and disputes
- Part 36: Construction and architectural and engineering contracts
- Part 37: Service contracting
- Part 39: Acquisition of information technology
- Part 42: Contract administration and audit services
- Part 43: Contract modifications (changes)
- Part 44: Subcontracting policies
- Part 49: Terminations
- Part 50: Extraordinary contractual actions
- Part 51: Use of government sources by contractors
- Part 52 contains all the solicitation provisions and contract clauses that implement the policies in Parts 1-51.
- Subpart 52.1 provides instructions for using the clauses.
- Subpart 52.2 contains the full text of the clauses, each beginning with “52.2.”
- Subpart 52.3 is the Clause Matrix, a rarely used table that indicates which clauses are required, required when applicable, or optional for different contract types.
- Part 53 contains standard government contract forms, including instructions for completing them.
The FAR clause numbering system ties each clause back to the relevant part of the FAR. For example, clause 52.219-14 (“Limitation on Subcontracting”) relates to FAR Part 19, Small Business Programs.
The FAR can be found online at acquisition.gov, a searchable website managed by the GSA. It is also available:
- In book form
- As an app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
The FAR is constantly being updated [1, 14], so it is essential to consult the current version. The version of the FAR in effect at the time of contract award generally governs the contract for its duration.
How is FAR Part 52 Special?
FAR Part 52 focuses on solicitation provisions and contract clauses and is essentially the central clearing house through which all the priorities in the first 51 parts of FAR get implemented through some kind of a solicitation provision or contract clause. All FAR provisions and clause numbers begin with “52.2” because the text of all FAR provisions and clauses appear in FAR Subpart 52.2. Agency supplements will follow a similar format (e.g., DFARS = 252.2). There are over 600 provisions and clauses in FAR Subpart 52.2. FAR Part 52 is broken down into three major subparts:
- Subpart 52.1 contains instructions for the clauses, for example, instructions on when a clause can be incorporated by reference versus when it needs to be written out in full text.
- Subpart 52.2 contains the text of the clauses.
- Subpart 52.3 contains a matrix that is a table listing different types of contracts and tells the user when the clause is required, when it is required as applicable, and when it is optional.
Parts 1-51 of the FAR never are put into contracts or solicitations; only clauses are put into contracts and solicitations. There is a direct tie-in/correlation between FAR Parts 1 – 51 and the Part 52 clauses. One is the applicable policy provision, the other is the resulting clause. For example, FAR 52.219-14 (Limitation on Subcontracting) can be broken down as:
- All clauses start 52.2 (that’s where in the FAR you find them).
- The next two digits (19) tell you the FAR Part they relate to (e.g., Part 19).
- The -14 says this was the 14th instance when the FAR Part 19 policy provisions prescribed a contract clause.
Most FAR clauses are incorporated by reference. Clauses included in full text generally require the insertion of a date, a number, or a period of time. FAR clauses take precedence over agency supplements and any local clauses.
How are Changes to the FAR Decided?
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is a set of regulations that governs the acquisition process for the federal government. The FAR Council, which is composed of representatives from the Department of Defense (DoD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is responsible for making changes to the FAR. The FAR Council is headed by the administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). The FAR Council reviews requests to open cases for the purpose of changing the FAR. The public can recommend changes to the FAR.
The process for changing the FAR is as follows:
- The FAR Council decides to open a case to change the FAR.
- The case is assigned to the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (DARC) or the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAC). GSA chairs the CAC.
- The DARC or CAC assigns the case to a committee that will develop the policy and write the language to implement the change. The committees are made up of representatives from various government agencies.
- The committee reports to the DARC or CAC, and the council decides whether they want to make any changes to the proposed language.
- The case is sent to the other council, and the process is repeated until a consensus is achieved.
- Once a consensus is achieved, the rule is submitted to the FAR Council for review and approval.
- If the FAR Council approves the rule, it is sent to the OFPP for review.
- The OFPP reviews the rule to make sure that it is consistent with the president’s policies.
- If the OFPP approves the rule, it is sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review.
- OIRA reviews all rules to make sure that they are consistent with the president’s policies and that they comply with the requirements for rulemaking.
- If OIRA approves the rule, it is sent back to GSA to be published in the Federal Register.
- The Federal Register is the official journal of the federal government, and it is where all federal rules and notices are published.
The process for changing the FAR can take a long time. The timeline for changing the FAR can be seen in the sources. If the three people who sign for the FAR Council disagree, then the administrator of OFPP gets to vote. The public can participate in the rulemaking process by reviewing proposed changes to the FAR and submitting comments. The FAR Council is authorized to hold public meetings in which the public may make statements concerning the rulemaking process. The final rule will address all public comments. The public may view the status of open cases.
How is FAR Part 2 Special?
FAR Part 2 defines words and terms used throughout the FAR. It is like a dictionary for government contracting, containing a list of over 200 terms across 28 pages. You can find FAR Part 2, along with all other parts of the FAR, online at acquisition.gov.
However, some definitions may only apply to a specific part or subpart of the FAR, and those definitions would be found in the relevant part or subpart. Additionally, the definitions in FAR Part 2 are not always the final definition of a term, as parties may agree to a different definition in the solicitation, contract, or the relevant FAR section.
FAR Clause 52.202-1, “Definitions,” incorporates all of the definitions in FAR Part 2 into a solicitation or contract. This means that the definitions in FAR Part 2 apply to the solicitation or contract unless a different definition is provided.
Some examples of definitions you can find in FAR Part 2 include:
- Advisory and assistance services
- Affiliates
- Commercial product/Commercial service
- Cost or pricing data
- Inherently governmental function
- Small business subcontractor
- “United States”
How did we end up with the FAR?
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is a set of rules that govern how executive agencies in the US government purchase supplies and services using contracts. The FAR does not apply to grants, cooperative agreements, or “other transactions.” The FAR became effective on April 1, 1984.
Before the FAR, multiple regulations existed, resulting in different rules, processes, and forms depending on the agency a company was working with. For example, the Armed Services Procurement Regulations (ASPR) governed the Department of Defense (DoD). The Federal Procurement Regulation (FPR) governed civilian agencies, and was based on regulations from the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department had central purchasing authority for all federal agencies before the General Services Administration (GSA) was created in 1949.
Widespread complaints about the inconsistencies in these different regulations led Congress to pass the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Act in 1974. This act established a single set of rules for the whole federal government, called the FAR. It also created:
- The Administrator of OFPP
- The FAR Council, which has three voting members: the Administrator of GSA, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Secretary of Defense
- Two subordinate councils: the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC), chaired by GSA, and the Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council (DARC), chaired by DoD
The OFPP Act also created a streamlined rulemaking process for the FAR, which is not governed by the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946. It took about five years for a team of DoD and civilian agency personnel to develop the FAR.
Some key legislation that shaped government contracting and the FAR includes:
- The Anti-Deficiency Act of 1884, which established criminal penalties for exceeding appropriations.
- The Administrative Procedures Act of 1947 which allowed the judicial branch to review the actions of executive branch employees.
- The Armed Services Procurement Act of 1947, which created the Department of Defense and specific contracting authority.
- The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, which created the GSA and gave it procurement authority.
- The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984, which made competition a key factor in government contracting.
- The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, which made significant changes to how procurement was done and established commercial item provisions.
- The Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003, which addressed the management of service acquisitions, as the government began buying more services and less products.
- The annual National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA), which has been passed by Congress every year for almost 60 years.
The NDAA, along with executive orders, are the primary sources of new cases for the FAR Council and Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council.
What is the Christian Doctrine?
The Christian Doctrine is a rule of Government contract interpretation that arises from a 1963 Court of Claims case, G.L. Christian and Ass. v. U.S.. In this case, the termination for convenience clause was inadvertently left out of the contract.
When the government terminated the contract for convenience, Christian argued the termination was not allowed and claimed anticipatory profits. The Court ruled that the clause was read into the contract by operation of law. This means the regulation, of which Christian had constructive knowledge, had the force and effect of law when implementing statutory requirements. The Court also stated the contracting officer does not have the authority to waive a mandatory clause.
The Christian Doctrine could also potentially apply to a situation where a contracting officer makes a mistake and includes the wrong version of a provision or clause in a contract. However, this is unlikely, as the courts have been slow to expand the Christian Doctrine under these circumstances. For the Christian Doctrine to apply, the clause in question must reflect a deeply ingrained strand of public procurement policy. Alternate versions of a clause or deviations, by their very nature, do not usually reflect deeply ingrained policies.
The Christian Doctrine applies to prime contractors doing business directly with the government. It likely does not apply to subcontractors, as there are different policies at play between two commercial companies than when the sovereign United States of America is doing business with a prime contractor.