Contract Lifecycle — which FAR/DFARS parts apply, and when
Every federal contract moves through the same lifecycle: requirements surface, the agency plans, a solicitation is published, proposals are submitted, one is selected, a contract is awarded, the contractor performs, the government pays, and eventually the contract closes out. This note maps each phase to the FAR and DFARS Parts that govern it.
Use this when a client says “can they do X?” and you need to know which Part has the rule.
Phase 1 — Requirements & Acquisition Planning
Agency figures out what it needs and how to buy it.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition plan | FAR Part 7 | DFARS Part 207 |
| Market research | FAR Part 10 | DFARS Part 210 |
| Describing needs / SOWs | FAR Part 11 | DFARS Part 211 |
| Required sources (UNICOR, AbilityOne, GSA) | FAR Part 8 | DFARS Part 208 |
| Commercial-item determinations | FAR Part 12 | DFARS Part 212 |
| Small business coordination | FAR Part 19 | DFARS Part 219 |
Why it matters for clients: Decisions made here — set-aside status, commercial-item determination, single-award vs. multiple-award — are nearly impossible to change after solicitation.
Phase 2 — Solicitation
Agency publishes the opportunity and the rules of the competition.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Publicizing (SAM.gov posting) | FAR Part 5 | DFARS Part 205 |
| Competition requirements + exceptions | FAR Part 6 | DFARS Part 206 |
| Sealed bidding | FAR Part 14 | DFARS Part 214 |
| Negotiation + proposal preparation | FAR Part 15 | DFARS Part 215 |
| Contract types (FFP, CPFF, T&M, IDIQ) | FAR Part 16 | DFARS Part 216 |
| Special contracting methods (options, BOAs, BPAs) | FAR Part 17 | DFARS Part 217 |
| Simplified acquisition (under SAT) | FAR Part 13 | DFARS Part 213 |
| Federal Supply Schedules | FAR Part 38 | DFARS Part 238 |
Why it matters for clients: The solicitation is where evaluation criteria, IP-rights assertions, and risk allocation are locked in. Read Section L (instructions) and M (evaluation) first; everything else flows from those.
Phase 3 — Proposal & Source Selection
Contractors propose; agency evaluates and selects.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor qualifications + OCI | FAR Part 9 | DFARS Part 209 |
| Improper business practices (ethics) | FAR Part 3 | DFARS Part 203 |
| Source selection procedures | FAR 15.3 | DFARS 215.3 |
| Cost/price proposal adequacy | FAR 15.4 | DFARS 215.4 |
| Data rights assertions at proposal | — | DFARS 252.227-7017 |
| Truthful Cost or Pricing Data (TINA) | FAR Part 15 | DFARS 215.4 |
Why it matters for clients: Don’t sleep on DFARS 252.227-7017. Your assertions list at proposal defines your IP rights for the life of the contract. Data without an assertion is presumed unlimited government rights.
Phase 4 — Award
Agency picks a winner, announces award, handles protests.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Award decision documentation | FAR 15.308 | DFARS 215.308 |
| Unsuccessful-offeror notification + debriefing | FAR 15.505–FAR 15.506 | DFARS 215.506 |
| Protests (GAO, agency, COFC) | FAR Part 33 | DFARS Part 233 |
| Dispute resolution | FAR Part 33 | DFARS Part 233 |
Why it matters for clients: Protest windows are short — 10 days post-debriefing for GAO, shorter for agency-level. Enhanced debriefing rights for DoD awards over $100M under DFARS.
Phase 5 — Performance
Contractor delivers; agency manages the contract.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Contract administration, ACO/DCMA | FAR Part 42 | DFARS Part 242 |
| Modifications + equitable adjustments | FAR Part 43 | DFARS Part 243 |
| Subcontracting policies | FAR Part 44 | DFARS Part 244 |
| Government-furnished property | FAR Part 45 | DFARS Part 245 |
| Quality assurance / inspection | FAR Part 46 | DFARS Part 246 |
| Transportation | FAR Part 47 | DFARS Part 247 |
| Value engineering change proposals | FAR Part 48 | DFARS Part 248 |
| Financing / progress payments | FAR Part 32 | DFARS Part 232 |
| Labor laws (SCA, Davis-Bacon, trafficking) | FAR Part 22 | DFARS Part 222 |
| Cyber: CDI safeguarding + incident reporting | — | DFARS 252.204-7012 |
| IT / cloud | FAR Part 39 | DFARS Part 239 |
| Cost Accounting Standards | FAR Part 30 | DFARS Part 230 |
| Allowable vs. unallowable costs | FAR Part 31 | DFARS Part 231 |
Why it matters for clients: This is the longest phase and the one where most disputes arise. Changes clause (52.243-x) is the most-used contractor lever. Cyber incident reporting (DFARS 252.204-7012) is on a 72-hour clock.
Phase 6 — Termination
Contract ends early, whether by agency choice or contractor default.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Termination for convenience | FAR Part 49, Subpart 49.1, 49.2 | DFARS Part 249 |
| Termination for default | FAR Part 49, Subpart 49.4 | DFARS Part 249 |
| Cure notices, show-cause | FAR 49.402 | DFARS 249.402 |
| Termination settlement proposals | FAR 49.6 | DFARS 249.6 |
| Extraordinary contractual actions | FAR Part 50 | DFARS Part 250 |
Why it matters for clients: T4C is a paid exit (actual costs + reasonable profit on work done). T4D is not — it can trigger excess reprocurement costs and suspension/debarment risk. Getting this right is existential.
Phase 7 — Closeout
Deliverables accepted, final payment, records retained.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Contract closeout, final vouchers | FAR 4.804 | DFARS 204.804 |
| Past performance reporting | FAR 42.15 | DFARS 242.15 |
| Final indirect cost-rate settlement | FAR 42.7 | DFARS 242.7 |
| Records retention | FAR 4.7 | DFARS 204.7 |
Why it matters for clients: CPARS past-performance ratings land here and follow the contractor into every future source selection. Disputed CPARS get pushed back under FAR 42.1503.
Cross-cutting — applies in every phase
These Parts don’t belong to any single lifecycle phase; they run through all of them.
| Topic | FAR | DFARS |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions | FAR Part 2 | DFARS Part 202 |
| How FAR works, deviations | FAR Part 1 | DFARS Part 201 |
| Ethics / improper practices | FAR Part 3 | DFARS Part 203 |
| Administrative (CAGE, UEI, records, cyber prescriptions) | FAR Part 4 | DFARS Part 204 |
| Socioeconomic (labor, environment, BAA, Indian incentive) | FAR Parts 22-26 | DFARS Parts 222-226 |
| IP / tech data / software rights | FAR Part 27 | DFARS Part 227 |
| The clause library | FAR Part 52 | DFARS Part 252 |
Related
- FAR — The Story — the 8-subchapter narrative
- DFARS — The Story — the defense overlay
- How FAR Is Organized — numbering primer