Federal glossary · Status
The Ostensible Subcontractor Rule (13 CFR 121.103(h)(4)) considers a small business prime affiliated with its large subcontractor if the sub will perform the primary and vital requirements of the contract. Indicators: the sub is the incumbent, performs most of the work, or manages contract performance. Triggers size protest risk.
Example: An active opportunity vs. a closed opportunity in SAM.gov.
Reference record · Sources: Federal acquisition guidance · Verified Jul 2, 2026 · Covers definition, governing source
Also known as
The Ostensible Subcontractor Rule (13 CFR 121.103(h)(4)) considers a small business prime affiliated with its large subcontractor if the sub will perform the primary and vital requirements of the contract. Indicators: the sub is the incumbent, performs most of the work, or manages contract performance. Triggers size protest risk.
is a status concept federal contractors and grant writers run into across solicitations, regulations, and award filings
Ostensible Subcontractor Rule is a federal-contracting concept that contractors encounter in solicitations, contracts, and supporting documentation. For example: Example: An active opportunity vs. a closed opportunity in SAM.gov. Understanding Ostensible Subcontractor Rule is part of the broader working vocabulary required to interpret federal procurement signals — RFPs, modifications, contracting-officer responses, and oversight reports all assume the reader is fluent in terms like Ostensible Subcontractor Rule. The related terms above sit in the same conceptual neighborhood; reading them together is faster than reading any one term in isolation, because federal procurement vocabulary is dense with cross-references. Bureauify's glossary is structured to make that browsing efficient: every term links to the network it lives in, not just its own definition.
Example: An active opportunity vs. a closed opportunity in SAM.gov.
Meaning in practice
Ostensible Subcontractor Rule is a federal-contracting concept that helps you read government language correctly.
Where you’ll see it
You will see it in solicitations, contracts, forms, and support documents. Example: Example: An active opportunity vs. a closed opportunity in SAM.gov..
Common confusion
People often read it as generic business language instead of a specific government term.
What to do next
Use the related terms and source trail to confirm how Bureauify is using it.
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