FAR 26.602—Applicability.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 26.602 is a very short applicability provision, but it is important because it tells readers that the requirements in this subpart are not limited to a special class of acquisitions—they apply to all solicitations and all contracts. In practical terms, that means contracting officers, offerors, and contractors must treat the subpart’s requirements as part of the baseline acquisition framework whenever they are preparing, reviewing, awarding, or performing a federal procurement. The section does not itself impose a substantive purchasing rule, set-aside, or evaluation factor; instead, it establishes the scope of the subpart and prevents parties from assuming the requirements apply only in certain contract types, dollar ranges, or phases of the acquisition. Its purpose is to ensure consistent application across the procurement lifecycle and to avoid gaps where a solicitation or contract might otherwise omit a requirement because someone believed the subpart was inapplicable. In practice, this means acquisition personnel should check the rest of Subpart 26.6 whenever they are working on a solicitation or contract, and contractors should assume the subpart may affect their proposal preparation, compliance obligations, or contract administration unless another FAR provision clearly says otherwise.
Key Rules
Applies to all solicitations
The subpart’s requirements must be considered whenever the Government issues a solicitation, regardless of the acquisition method or contract type. This means the rules are not limited to a particular kind of competition or procurement vehicle.
Applies to all contracts
The subpart also governs contracts, not just pre-award documents. Contracting officers and contractors must therefore account for the subpart during award and performance, as well as during solicitation preparation.
No built-in exceptions
This section does not create any exceptions, thresholds, or carve-outs on its face. If an exception exists, it must come from another FAR provision or from the specific text of the rest of the subpart.
Scope-setting provision only
FAR 26.602 does not itself prescribe a substantive action or compliance step. Its role is to define the reach of the subpart so users know when to apply the underlying requirements.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Apply the subpart’s requirements to every solicitation and contract covered by the FAR, and ensure the solicitation and resulting contract reflect any obligations imposed by the rest of the subpart.
Contractor
Review solicitations and contracts with the understanding that the subpart applies broadly, and comply with any requirements that flow from the subpart during proposal preparation and performance.
Agency
Train acquisition personnel and maintain internal procedures so the subpart is consistently applied across solicitations and contracts.
Offeror
Account for the subpart when preparing a proposal or response, and avoid assuming the requirements are optional or limited to certain procurements.
Practical Implications
This section is a reminder to check Subpart 26.6 on every procurement, not just special cases.
A common mistake is assuming a requirement does not apply because the contract type, dollar value, or acquisition method seems different; this section rejects that assumption unless another rule says otherwise.
Because the provision is broad, omission errors can happen if the solicitation or contract fails to carry forward the subpart’s requirements.
Contracting officers should use it as a checklist trigger: if a solicitation or contract is being drafted, the subpart must be reviewed for applicability.
Contractors should treat the subpart as potentially relevant from the start of proposal development through contract performance and administration.
Official Regulatory Text
This subpart applies to all solicitations and contracts.