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Home/Glossary/Cost Plus Incentive Fee
Contract Type

Cost Plus Incentive Fee

Definition

Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF, FAR 16.405-1) reimburses allowable costs plus a fee that adjusts based on the relationship of actual costs to target cost. Includes target cost, target fee, minimum/maximum fee, and share ratio (e.g., 80/20 government/contractor). Rewards cost efficiency while limiting contractor risk.

Why does Cost Plus Incentive Fee matter?

is a contract type concept federal contractors and grant writers run into across solicitations, regulations, and award filings

Source: Bureauify editorial review·Last updated 2026-06-06 by Bureauify

Where this matters in federal contracting

Cost Plus Incentive Fee describes a specific contract structure that the federal government uses. The contract type controls risk allocation, payment timing, reporting cadence, and how performance is measured — all of which affect whether the work is profitable and whether it fits a contractor's capability profile. Knowing whether a solicitation is structured as a Cost Plus Incentive Fee versus another vehicle is one of the first signals of how the government expects the work to be executed and what kind of contractor they're trying to attract. Misreading the contract type can mean either over-pricing risk you don't actually carry or under-pricing risk you do. The related terms above name the adjacent vehicles Cost Plus Incentive Fee most commonly competes with or rolls up under.

What can I do?

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Related Terms

FAR

More contract type terms

Set-AsideIDIQBPAGSA ScheduleMASGWACMACFFPT&MCPFFOASISCLIN

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cost Plus Incentive Fee in government contracting?▾
Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF, FAR 16.405-1) reimburses allowable costs plus a fee that adjusts based on the relationship of actual costs to target cost. Includes target cost, target fee, minimum/maximum fee, and share ratio (e.g., 80/20 government/contractor). Rewards cost efficiency while limiting contractor risk.
Why is Cost Plus Incentive Fee important for government contractors?▾
Cost Plus Incentive Fee is a contract type used in federal procurement. Different contract types allocate risk differently between the government and the contractor, affecting pricing strategy and proposal approach.

Find Cost Plus Incentive Fee-related opportunities

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