Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
The primary regulation governing acquisition by federal civilian and defense agencies — the rulebook for federal contracting.
Definition
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is a comprehensive set of rules governing how federal agencies buy goods and services. It is jointly maintained by GSA, DoD, and NASA and is divided into 53 parts covering everything from solicitation types (Part 14, Part 15) to set-aside programs (Part 19) to specific contract clauses (Part 52). Agency supplements (DFARS for DoD, FARSup for civilian agencies) extend the FAR with agency-specific rules.
When it applies
Every federal contract is governed by the FAR. Vendors should at minimum understand FAR Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition), Part 14 (Sealed Bidding), Part 15 (Negotiated Procurement), Part 19 (Small Business Programs), and the FAR clauses that appear in their contracts (especially Part 52). FAR compliance is also a key audit focus.