Federal glossary · Regulation
FARA (Federal Acquisition Reform Act, 1996) continued FASA reforms. Established past performance as a mandatory evaluation factor. Renamed "cost or pricing data" to "certified cost or pricing data."
Example: FAR Part 15, DFARS, or a statute such as the NDAA.
Reference record · Sources: Federal acquisition and regulatory source · Verified Jul 2, 2026 · Covers definition, governing source
Federal Acquisition Reform Act, 1996
Also known as
FARA (Federal Acquisition Reform Act, 1996) continued FASA reforms. Established past performance as a mandatory evaluation factor. Renamed "cost or pricing data" to "certified cost or pricing data."
(Federal Acquisition Reform Act, 1996) is a regulation concept federal contractors and grant writers run into across solicitations, regulations, and award filings
FARA is part of the federal regulatory framework that governs procurement, performance, or compliance. For example: Example: FAR Part 15, DFARS, or a statute such as the NDAA. For contractors, FARA is not just background — it shapes solicitation language, evaluation criteria, source-selection authority, and what counts as compliant performance. Understanding when FARA applies and (more importantly) when it doesn't apply is the difference between a proposal that's competitive within its actual constraint set and one that over-engineers compliance. Contracting officers use FARA as common vocabulary, so reading their decisions, modifications, and source-selection memoranda gets easier when the regulation is in your working memory. Pair FARA with the related terms above to see how it interacts with adjacent regulatory mechanisms.
Example: FAR Part 15, DFARS, or a statute such as the NDAA.
Meaning in practice
FARA is part of the federal rule set that governs procurement, compliance, or program administration.
Where you’ll see it
You will see it in the FAR, DFARS, the Federal Register, clauses, and compliance checklists. Example: Example: FAR Part 15, DFARS, or a statute such as the NDAA..
Common confusion
People often confuse a regulation with agency guidance or with a checklist that merely references the rule.
What to do next
Find the exact citation and confirm whether the page links to a part, clause, or agency interpretation.
No related questions are available yet.
Get notified when usage of FARA changes in contracts or guidance.
Search active federal contracts and solicitations related to FARA on Bureauify.
100M+ government records · 110+ gov/news sources · Sourced from official federal systems
