Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Cheat Sheet (2026) — Fast Reference for Contractors, Proposal Teams, and Bid Managers

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the U.S. government’s primary rulebook for buying supplies and services. If you sell to federal agencies (or plan to), FAR literacy is not optional—it affects how solicitations are written, how awards are made, what clauses end up in your contract, and what happens when requirements change mid-performance.

1) How FAR is organized (so you can “ctrl+f” smarter)

FAR is arranged into Parts (broad topics), Subparts (narrow topics), and Sections (specific rules). For proposal work, you rarely need to memorize text—but you do need to know where to look fast:

• Part 1: FAR system + how rules are arranged
• Part 2: Definitions (where critical thresholds and terms live)
• Part 4: Administrative matters (recordkeeping, reporting)
• Part 5: Publicizing contract actions (notice rules)
• Part 6: Competition requirements and exceptions
• Part 9: Contractor responsibility (eligibility, integrity, exclusions)
• Part 10: Market research (why agencies ask what they ask)
• Part 12: Commercial products/services (commerciality changes the clause set)
• Part 13: Simplified Acquisition Procedures (smaller buys, faster rules)
• Part 14: Sealed bidding (IFBs)
• Part 15: Negotiated procurements (RFPs, best value, evaluations)
• Part 16: Contract types (FFP, T&M, cost-reimbursable, IDIQ)
• Part 19: Small business programs (set-asides, subcontracting plans)
• Part 22: Labor laws (wage rules can reshape pricing and staffing)
• Part 28: Bonds and insurance (especially critical in construction)
• Part 33: Protests, disputes, appeals (what happens when things go wrong)
• Part 36: Construction and Architect-Engineer contracting
• Part 49: Termination (default vs convenience)
• Part 52: The clauses and provisions (what you actually sign)
• Part 53: Forms (SFs/OFs you’ll see in solicitations and awards)

2) The thresholds you must remember (updated Oct 1, 2025)

These thresholds influence solicitation method, documentation burden, competition steps, and sometimes which clauses apply:

• Micro-purchase threshold (MPT): $15,000
• Simplified acquisition threshold (SAT): $350,000
• SAT (Humanitarian/Peacekeeping): $650,000
• SAT (Contingency operations): $1,000,000
• SAT (Defense support): $2,000,000 Also note: contingency/defense thresholds can differ by scenario. Always verify which threshold applies to the specific acquisition environment before you assume the process.

3) Source selection in one minute (how you actually win)

For most RFPs, evaluation comes down to “best value” methods:

• Tradeoff (best value tradeoff): The government can pay more if the higher-rated proposal is worth it. Your win path is a defensible value story: lower risk, stronger approach, better staffing, credible schedule, past performance relevance, and measurable outcomes.
• LPTA (Lowest Price Technically Acceptable): If you’re technically acceptable, price can dominate. Your win path is compliance discipline + cost control without triggering “unacceptable” findings. No fancy value story matters if you miss a mandatory requirement.

Practical implication: Before drafting, identify whether the RFP is truly tradeoff or effectively LPTA-in-disguise (some solicitations say “best value” but score in a way that behaves like LPTA).

4) Construction-specific FAR “hot zones”

If you bid federal construction, these come up repeatedly:

• FAR Part 36: Construction and A-E contracting rules (includes demolition/removal scenarios too)
• FAR Part 28: Bid guarantees, performance/payment bonds, insurance requirements
• FAR Part 22: Labor compliance (wage rules can impact subcontract strategy and cost realism)
• FAR Part 52: Construction clauses that govern changes, differing site conditions, safety, payments, and terminations (clause set varies by contract type and value)

5) Clause literacy: the difference between “bid” and “regret”

FAR Part 52 is where your real obligations live. A simple rule: if it’s in the contract, it is enforceable—whether your team read it or not. For risk screening, pay special attention to:

• Termination (especially termination for convenience vs default)
• Disputes / claims process (notice timelines and documentation duties)
• Flow-downs to subcontractors (what must be included downstream)
• Reporting / audit / records (admin burden that pricing often ignores)

Example to recognize instantly: Termination for Convenience in fixed-price contracts can change your downside scenario and settlement approach if the government stops work midstream.

6) Bid/No-Bid FAR checklist (copy-paste for your team)

Use this as a fast internal gate before you invest proposal hours:

• Confirm solicitation type: Part 14 (IFB) vs Part 15 (RFP) vs Part 13 (SAP)
• Identify source selection: Tradeoff vs LPTA; note evaluation factor weighting
• List every “shall” and “must” (mandatory compliance matrix)
• Flag clauses that shift cost risk (termination, changes, delays, bonds, insurance, wage rules)
• Check thresholds (MPT/SAT) and whether special contingency thresholds apply
• Validate subcontract plan obligations and small business requirements (if applicable)
• Define clarification strategy: missing specs, conflicting requirements, schedule gaps
• Decide your pricing posture: aggressive vs risk-adjusted, backed by clause reality
• Create a “proof map”: where each requirement is answered (page/section traceability)

Sources

• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 1 (Federal Acquisition Regulations System): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-1
• Acquisition.gov — Threshold Changes (Effective Oct 1, 2025): https://www.acquisition.gov/threshold-changes
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-13
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-15
• Acquisition.gov — FAR 15.101 (Best value continuum): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.101
• Acquisition.gov — FAR 15.101-1 (Tradeoff process): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.101-1
• Acquisition.gov — FAR 15.101-2 (Lowest price technically acceptable): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.101-2
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 36 (Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-36
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 28 (Bonds and Insurance): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-28
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 33 (Protests, Disputes, and Appeals): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-33
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 49 (Termination of Contracts): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-49
• Acquisition.gov — FAR 52.249-2 (Termination for Convenience of the Government, Fixed-Price): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.249-2
• GSA SmartPay Bulletin (MPT increased to $15,000 effective Oct 1, 2025): https://smartpay.gsa.gov/guidance-and-audits/smart-bulletins/002/
• Acquisition.gov — FAR Part 53 (Forms): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-53
• Acquisition.gov — FAR (Official PDF): https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/pdf/FAR.pdf