FAR Companion Version 3.0 Adds Guidance Across the Acquisition Lifecycle

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council released FAR Companion Version 3.0 on October 30, 2026, as part of the ongoing Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Initiative. The update is associated with Executive Order 14275 and Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-25-26. It is intended to accompany the evolving FAR framework and provide acquisition guidance informed by practitioner and interagency feedback. The companion is guidance rather than a stand-alone solicitation or contract opportunity, but its coverage may influence how agencies plan procurements, assess acquisition approaches, and administer awards.

Version 3.0 spans multiple points in the acquisition lifecycle. It captures best practices for industry engagement, adds material on non-federal past performance and contractor self-assessments, and addresses performance monitoring and reprocurement to the next highest-rated offeror. It also clarifies outcome-based contracting as a subset of performance-based acquisition and provides additional direction on modular contracting. These topics are relevant to vendors shaping market research responses, proposals, performance plans, and communications with agency acquisition teams, as well as to government buyers developing requirements and evaluation approaches.

The update also revises guidance for commercial acquisitions, including commercial construction contracting, and expands coverage of construction and architect-engineer contracting. New material addresses contract closeout and termination settlements, while the guide supplies context on non-FAR-based authorities such as other transactions (OT), strategic contract vehicles (SCO), and the SBIR/STTR program. For contractors, this breadth makes it important to review guidance in the context of the specific procurement pathway and contract type: requirements for a commercial construction effort, for example, may not map directly to a conventional services acquisition, and an alternative authority may have distinct procedures.

The practical next step for contractors and acquisition professionals is to compare the companion with the rewritten FAR parts and applicable agency deviations relevant to current pursuits and active contracts. Version 3.0 updates companion parts 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 24, 32, and 36, and moves common acquisition practices into FC 7.102(a) to promote consistency across buying pathways. The companion also embeds a feedback form, annotates RFO smart accelerators and Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations techniques, and adds program-management concepts to improve cross-functional usability. Together, these changes warrant a targeted compliance and capture review—not an assumption that every recommendation automatically changes an existing solicitation or contract.

• Release date: FAR Companion Version 3.0 was posted on October 30, 2026 by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council.
• Initiative context: The update is part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul and is tied to Executive Order 14275 and OMB Memorandum M-25-26.
• Lifecycle coverage: Guidance addresses industry engagement, performance monitoring, contractor self-assessments, non-federal past performance, reprocurement, and contract closeout.
• Contracting approaches: The companion clarifies outcome-based contracting as a subset of performance-based acquisition and provides guidance on modular contracting.
• Commercial and construction focus: Updated material covers commercial contracting, commercial construction, construction contracting, and architect-engineer contracting.
• Additional authorities: The guide adds context on OT, SCO, and the SBIR/STTR program, which may matter when evaluating an opportunity’s acquisition pathway.
• FAR parts affected: Updates are identified for companion parts 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 24, 32, and 36; common practices move into FC 7.102(a) for consistency across buying pathways.
• Operational features: Version 3.0 incorporates a feedback form, annotations for RFO smart accelerators and Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations techniques, and relevant program-management concepts.
• Contractor action: Map the companion’s guidance to applicable rewritten FAR parts, agency deviations, solicitations, and contract terms before changing proposal or delivery processes.
• Reference materials: The guide is available at Acquisition.gov, alongside the FAR part and agency deviation resources; teams should verify the current guidance applicable to each procurement.