DFARS 218.201 — Contingency operation
Regulatory text. Not legal advice.
(1) Selection, appointment, and termination of appointment. Contracting officer qualification requirements pertaining to a baccalaureate degree do not apply to DoD employees or members of the armed forces who are in a contingency contracting force. See DFARS 201.603-2(2).
(2) Policy for item unique identification. Contractors will not be required to provide DoD item unique identification if the items, as determined by the head of the contracting activity, are to be used to support a contingency operation. See DFARS 211.274-2(b).
(3) Use of the Governmentwide commercial purchase card. Governmentwide commercial purchase cards do not have to be used for purchases valued at or below the micro-purchase threshold if the purchase or payment is for an overseas transaction by a contracting officer in support of a contingency operation, or for training exercises in preparation for overseas contingency, humanitarian, or peacekeeping operations. See DFARS 213.201(g) and DFARS 213.270(c)(3) and (5).
(4) Governmentwide commercial purchase card. A contracting office supporting a contingency operation or a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation may use the Governmentwide commercial purchase card to make a purchase that exceeds the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold if certain conditions are met. See DFARS 213.301(3).
(5) Imprest funds and third party drafts. Imprest funds are authorized for use without further approval for overseas transactions at or below the micro-purchase threshold in support of a contingency operation or a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation. See DFARS 213.305-3(d)(iii)(A).
(6) Standard Form (SF) 44, Purchase Order-Invoice-Voucher. SF 44s may be used for purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold for overseas transactions by contracting officers in support of a contingency operation or a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation. See DFARS 213.306(a)(1)(B).
(7) Only one offer. The requirements at sections DFARS 215.371-2 do not apply to acquisitions, as determined by the head of the contracting activity, in support of a contingency operation. See DFARS 215.371-4(a)(2).
(8) Approval of determination and findings for time-and-materials or labor-hour contracts. The approval requirements in paragraphs (d)(i)(A)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply to contracts that, as determined by the head of the contracting activity, support contingency. See DFARS 216.601(d)(3).
(9) Undefinitized contract actions. The head of the agency may waive certain limitations for undefinitized contract actions if the head of the agency determines that the waiver is necessary to support a contingency operation or a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation. See DFARS 217.7404-5(b).
(10) Prohibited sources. DoD personnel are authorized to make emergency acquisitions in direct support of U.S. or allied forces deployed in military contingency, humanitarian, or peacekeeping operations in a country or region subject to economic sanctions administered by the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control. See DFARS 225.701-70.
(11) Authorization Acts, Appropriations Acts, and other statutory restrictions on foreign acquisition. Acquisitions in the following categories are not subject to the restrictions of DFARS 225.7002, Restrictions on food, clothing, fabrics, specialty metals, and hand or measuring tools: (1) Acquisitions at or below the simplified acquisition threshold; (2) Acquisitions outside the United States in support of combat operations; (3) Acquisitions of perishable foods by or for activities located outside the United States for personnel of those activities; (4) Acquisitions of food, specialty metals, or hand or measuring tools in support of contingency operations, or for which the use of other than competitive procedures has been approved on the basis of unusual and compelling urgency in accordance with FAR 6.302-2; (5) Emergency acquisitions by activities located outside the United States for personnel of those activities; and (6) Acquisitions by vessels in foreign waters. See DFARS 225.7002-2.
(12) Electronic submission and processing of payment requests. Contractors do not have to submit payment requests in electronic form for contracts awarded by deployed contracting officers in the course of military operations, including contingency operations or humanitarian or peacekeeping operations. See DFARS 232.7002(a)(4).
Citation history: [72 FR 2632, Jan. 22, 2007, as amended at 78 FR 76072, Dec. 16, 2013; 81 FR 53045, Aug. 11, 2016; 83 FR 24890, May 30, 2018; 85 FR 34528, June 5, 2020]
Source: eCFR • Pulled 2026-04-16