FAR 17—Special Contracting Methods

Scope of part.

FAR 17.000 states the scope of FAR Part 17 and explains that this part sets policies and procedures for acquiring supplies and services using special contracting methods. The specific topics covered here are multi-year contracting, options, leader company contracting, and the use of reverse auctions to obtain competitive pricing. In practice, this means Part 17 is the government’s rulebook for structuring contracts that extend beyond a single base period, allow future purchases through options, leverage a leader company approach in certain acquisitions, or use reverse auction techniques to drive price competition. The section is important because these methods can improve flexibility, pricing, and planning, but they also create added legal, fiscal, and competition risks if used without the required analysis and approvals. For contracting officers and contractors, this scope provision signals that the rest of Part 17 contains the governing procedures and limitations for these special acquisition tools.

Subpart 17.1

Subpart 17.2

Subpart 17.4

Subpart 17.5

Subpart 17.6

Subpart 17.7

Subpart 17.8