FAR 4.1804—Solicitation provisions and contract clause.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 4.1804 tells contracting officers which solicitation provisions and contract clauses must be used when the government is collecting and managing Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code information. It ties the CAGE code reporting provision at 52.204-16 to other related provisions and clauses: 52.204-17, Ownership or Control of Offeror; 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance; and 52.204-20, Predecessor of Offeror. In practice, this section ensures the government can identify the legal entity behind an offer, understand ownership/control relationships, and keep CAGE code data current throughout the acquisition and contract performance process. It also links CAGE code requirements to solicitations that already require a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or System for Award Management (SAM) registration, so offerors cannot treat CAGE-related data as optional or separate from basic offer eligibility. The section matters because inaccurate or outdated entity information can affect responsibility determinations, award eligibility, payment processing, and the government’s ability to track contractor identity across mergers, reorganizations, and successor entities.
Key Rules
CAGE reporting follows UEI or SAM
If a solicitation includes either the Unique Entity Identifier provision at 52.204-6 or the SAM provision at 52.204-7, the contracting officer must also insert 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting. This makes CAGE code reporting mandatory whenever the solicitation already requires core entity identification or registration information.
Ownership or control disclosure required
When 52.204-16 is included, the solicitation must also include 52.204-17, Ownership or Control of Offeror. This provision requires the offeror to disclose ownership or control information needed to help the government understand whether the entity submitting the offer is related to, controlled by, or controlling another entity.
CAGE maintenance clause in solicitations and contracts
If the solicitation contains 52.204-16, the contracting officer must insert 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance, in both the solicitation and the resulting contract. This clause obligates the contractor to keep CAGE code information current after award, not just at the proposal stage.
Predecessor information must be provided
When 52.204-16 is included, the solicitation must also include 52.204-20, Predecessor of Offeror. This provision captures prior entity identity information so the government can connect the offeror to predecessor organizations when relevant.
The requirements are mandatory when triggered
These are not discretionary add-ons. Once the triggering condition exists, the contracting officer must include the specified provision or clause in the solicitation, and for 52.204-18, in the contract as well.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Determine whether the solicitation includes 52.204-6 or 52.204-7, and if so, insert 52.204-16. If 52.204-16 is included, also insert 52.204-17 and 52.204-20 in the solicitation, and insert 52.204-18 in both the solicitation and the resulting contract.
Offeror
Provide the required CAGE code reporting information, ownership or control information, and predecessor information when the applicable provisions are included in the solicitation. Ensure the information submitted is accurate and complete.
Contractor
After award, maintain current CAGE code information as required by 52.204-18 and update the government when entity information changes that affect the code or associated records.
Agency
Use these provisions and clause consistently when the triggering conditions are present, and rely on the resulting information to support entity identification, responsibility review, and contract administration.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about entity identity control: the government wants to know exactly who it is dealing with, whether that entity is owned or controlled by another, and whether it has predecessor entities that matter for identification purposes.
A common pitfall is forgetting that 52.204-18 must go into the contract, not just the solicitation, whenever 52.204-16 is used.
Another frequent issue is incomplete or inconsistent entity data across SAM, UEI, and CAGE-related representations, which can delay award or create post-award administrative problems.
Contractors should treat changes in corporate structure, mergers, name changes, or reorganizations as potential triggers for updating CAGE-related information.
Contracting officers should check the solicitation package as a set: once UEI or SAM is included, the related CAGE provisions may be mandatory and should not be omitted by oversight.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Insert the provision at 52.204-16 , Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting, in all solicitations that include– (1) 52.204-6 , Unique Entity Identifier; or (2) 52.204-7 , System for Award Management. (b) Insert the provision at 52.204-17 , Ownership or Control of Offeror, in all solicitations that include the provision at 52.204-16 , Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting. (c) Insert the clause at 52.204-18 , Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance, in all solicitations and contracts when the solicitation contains the provision at 52.204-16 , Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting. (d) Insert the provision at 52.204-20 , Predecessor of Offeror, in all solicitations that include the provision at 52.204-16 , Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting.