FAR 4.606—Reporting Data.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 4.606 explains what contract and related procurement actions agencies must report to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), what they may report only with approval, and what they must not report at all. It covers the minimum reporting universe for definitive contracts, purchase orders, imprest fund buys over the micro-purchase threshold, indefinite delivery vehicles (IDVs) such as task and delivery order contracts, GSA Federal Supply Schedules, blanket purchase agreements, basic ordering agreements, and all orders and calls placed under those vehicles. It also addresses reporting of Government purchase card data, the use of FPDS Express Reporting for consolidated vendor reporting, and the special approval process for reporting other actions such as micro-purchases, non-appropriated fund transactions, leases, grants, and entitlement actions. The section then lists categories excluded from FPDS reporting, including certain imprest fund and purchase card transactions, GSA stock and Global Supply orders, AbilityOne and service store purchases, non-appropriated fund activity card purchases, classified or national-security-sensitive actions, resale and concession activity, training expenditures not issued as orders or contracts, certain interagency agreements, and A-76 letters of obligation. Finally, it notes that agencies not subject to the FAR may still have reporting obligations under other authority, but they must obtain FPDS Program Office approval before reporting. In practice, this section is about data integrity and consistency: it tells agencies what must be captured in FPDS, what is optional but controlled, and what is excluded to avoid duplicate, sensitive, or non-procurement reporting.
Key Rules
Report core contract actions
Agencies must report definitive contracts, including purchase orders and imprest fund buys over the micro-purchase threshold, regardless of the solicitation method used. Any modification that changes previously reported contract action data must also be reported, even if the modification itself is below the micro-purchase threshold.
Report IDVs and orders
Indefinite delivery vehicles must be reported, including task and delivery order contracts, GSA Federal Supply Schedules, blanket purchase agreements, basic ordering agreements, and any other agreement or contract under which orders or purchases may be placed. All calls and orders issued under those vehicles must also be reported.
Include purchase card data
GSA’s Office of Charge Card Management provides Government purchase card data to FPDS at least annually, and GSA incorporates that data into FPDS reports. This creates a separate reporting path for purchase card activity that is not handled the same way as standard contract actions.
Use Express Reporting when appropriate
Agencies may use FPDS Express Reporting for consolidated multiple-action reports for a vendor when reporting each action individually would be overly burdensome. If used, Express Reporting should be performed at least monthly.
Other actions need written approval
Agencies may report actions outside the standard FAR-based reporting set only if the actions can be segregated from FAR-based actions and the FPDS Program Office approves the reporting in writing. Before starting such reporting, agencies must contact the FPDS Program Office for certain categories, including micro-purchases, NAF transactions, leases, grants, and entitlement actions.
Do not report excluded actions
The section lists actions that are not to be reported to FPDS, including certain imprest fund transactions below the micro-purchase threshold, GSA stock and Global Supply orders, purchases at GSA or AbilityOne service stores, certain non-appropriated fund and training-related purchases, classified or national-security-sensitive actions, resale and concession activity, some interagency agreements, and A-76 letters of obligation.
Non-FAR agencies need approval
Agencies not subject to the FAR may still be required by statute, OMB direction, or internal policy to report information to FPDS. Before doing so, they must obtain approval from the FPDS Program Office.
Responsibilities
Agencies
Determine which contract actions must be reported to FPDS, ensure required actions and modifications are entered accurately, use Express Reporting only when appropriate, seek written approval before reporting non-standard actions, and avoid reporting excluded actions unless another authority specifically requires it and approval has been obtained.
Contracting Officers
Ensure definitive contracts, IDVs, and orders are reported when required; make sure modifications that change previously reported data are captured; and coordinate with reporting personnel so the FPDS record reflects the correct action type and data.
GSA Office of Charge Card Management
Provide Government purchase card data to FPDS at least annually and support incorporation of that data into FPDS reports.
FPDS Program Office
Review and approve in writing requests to report non-standard actions, advise agencies before they begin reporting special categories, and approve reporting by agencies not subject to the FAR.
Reporting Personnel / Procurement Data Staff
Enter or consolidate data in FPDS, use Express Reporting when justified, segregate reportable actions from non-reportable ones, and ensure that sensitive, excluded, or duplicate transactions are not improperly submitted.
Practical Implications
This section is a data-quality rule as much as a reporting rule: if an action is reportable, the initial award and any later data-changing modification must be captured correctly in FPDS.
A common pitfall is assuming that small-dollar modifications do not need reporting; if the modification changes previously reported data, it must be reported regardless of dollar value.
Another frequent mistake is double-reporting or misreporting orders under IDVs, especially task orders, delivery orders, and schedule orders, which must be tied to the correct parent vehicle.
Agencies should be careful with special funding and non-procurement activities: micro-purchases, NAF transactions, leases, grants, entitlement actions, and interagency agreements may require special handling or may be excluded entirely.
Contracting and reporting staff should also screen for exclusions involving classified information, national security, resale, concessions, and GSA/AbilityOne stock or service-store purchases to avoid improper FPDS entries.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Actions required to be reported to FPDS . (1) As a minimum, agencies must report the following contract actions over the micro-purchase threshold, regardless of solicitation process used, and agencies must report any modification to these contract actions that change previously reported contract action data, regardless of dollar value: (i) Definitive contracts, including purchase orders and imprest fund buys over the micro-purchase threshold awarded by a contracting officer. (ii) Indefinite delivery vehicle (identified as an "IDV" in FPDS). Examples of IDVs include the following: (A) Task and Delivery Order Contracts (see subpart 16.5 ), including– (1) Government-wide acquisition contracts. (2) Multi-agency contracts. (B) GSA Federal supply schedules. (C) Blanket Purchase Agreements (see 13.303 ). (D) Basic Ordering Agreements (see 16.703 ). (E) Any other agreement or contract against which individual orders or purchases may be placed. (iii) All calls and orders awarded under the indefinite delivery vehicles identified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section. (2) The GSA Office of Charge Card Management will provide the Government purchase card data, at a minimum annually, and GSA will incorporate that data into FPDS for reports. (3) Agencies may use the FPDS Express Reporting capability for consolidated multiple action reports for a vendor when it would be overly burdensome to report each action individually. When used, Express Reporting should be done at least monthly. (b) Reporting other actions . Agencies may submit actions other than those listed at paragraph (a)(1) of this section only if they are able to be segregated from FAR-based actions and this is approved in writing by the FPDS Program Office. Prior to the commencement of reporting, agencies must contact the FPDS Program Office if they desire to submit any of the following types of activity: (1) Transactions at or below the micro-purchase threshold, except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section. (2) Any non-appropriated fund (NAF) or NAF portion of a contract action using a mix of appropriated and non-appropriated funding. (3) Lease and supplemental lease agreements for real property. (4) Grants and entitlement actions. (c) Actions not reported . The following types of contract actions are not to be reported to FPDS: (1) Imprest fund transactions below the micro-purchase threshold, including those made via the Government purchase card (unless specific agency procedures prescribe reporting these actions). (2) Orders from GSA stock and the GSA Global Supply Program. (3) Purchases made at GSA or AbilityOne service stores, as these items stocked for resale have already been reported by GSA. (4) Purchases made using non-appropriated fund activity cards, chaplain fund cards, individual Government personnel training orders, and Defense Printing orders. (5) Actions that, pursuant to other authority, will not be entered in FPDS ( e.g. , reporting of the information would compromise national security). (6) Contract actions in which the required data would constitute classified information. (7) Resale activity (i.e., commissary or exchange activity). (8) Revenue generating arrangements (i.e., concessions). (9) Training expenditures not issued as orders or contracts. (10) Interagency agreements other than inter-agency acquisitions required to be reported at 4.606 (a)(1). (11) Letters of obligation used in the A-76 process. (d) Agencies not subject to the FAR. Agencies not subject to the FAR may be required by other authority (e.g., statute, OMB, or internal agency policy) to report certain information to FPDS. Those agencies not subject to the FAR must first receive approval from the FPDS Program Office prior to reporting to FPDS.