Subpart 4.10 - Uniform Use of Line Items

Parent topic: Part 4 - Administrative and Information Matters

4.1000 Scope.

This subpart prescribes policies and procedures for assigning line items and subline items and their

identifiers. However, in order to provide agencies with time to transition their information systems,

agencies have until October 1, 2019, to apply the requirements of 4.1002 through 4.1008.

4.1001 Policy.

In order to improve the accuracy, traceability, and usability of procurement data, procurement

instruments shall identify the supplies or services to be acquired as separately identified line items

and, as needed, subline items.

(a) Line items are established to define deliverables or organize information about deliverables.

Each line item describes characteristics for the item purchased, e.g., pricing, delivery, and funding

information.

(b) Each line item may be subdivided into separate unique subsets (called subline items) to ease

administration. If a line item has deliverable subline items, the line item is informational. Subline

items differentiate between or among certain characteristics of the line item, such as colors or sizes,

dates of delivery, destinations, or places of performance. Subline items are established to define

deliverables or organize information about deliverables.

4.1002 Applicability.

The policies of this subpart shall apply to the following procurement instruments, to include

amendments, modifications, and change orders thereto:

(a) Solicitations.

(b) Contracts, including, but not limited to, Governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs), multiagency contracts (MACs), Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts, indefinite-delivery contracts,

and purchase orders.

(c) Agreements that include pre-priced supplies or services.

(d) Task and delivery orders.

4.1003 Establishing line items.

Establish separate line items for deliverables that have the following characteristics except as
provided at 4.1005-2:

(a) Separately identifiable.

(1) A supply is separately identifiable if it has its own identification (e.g., national stock number

(NSN), item description, manufacturer's part number).

(2) Services are separately identifiable if they have no more than one statement of work or

performance work statement.

(3) If the procurement instrument involves a first article (see subpart 9.3), establish a separate line

item for each item requiring a separate approval. If the first article consists of a lot composed of a

mixture of items that will be approved as a single lot, a single line item may be used.

(b) Single unit price or total price.

(c) Single accounting classification citation. A single deliverable may be funded by multiple

accounting classifications when the deliverable effort cannot be otherwise subdivided.

(d) Separate delivery schedule, destination, period of performance, or place of performance.

(e) Single contract pricing type (e.g., fixed-price or cost-reimbursement).

4.1004 Establishing subline items.

Subline items may be used to facilitate tracking of performance, deliverables, payment, and contract

funds accounting or for other management purposes. Subline items may be either deliverable or

informational. The list of characteristics at 4.1003 applies to deliverable subline items, but it is not

applicable to informational subline items. A line item with subline items shall contain only that

information that is common to all subline items thereunder. All subline items under one line item

shall be the same contract type as the line item.

(a) Deliverable subline items. Deliverable subline items may be used for several related items that

require separate identification. For example, instead of establishing multiple separate line items,

subline items may be established for-

(1) Items that are basically the same, except for minor variations such as–

(i) Size or color;

(ii) Accounting classification, but see also 4.1005-1(a)(4); or

(iii) Date of delivery, destination, or period or place of performance;

(2) Separately priced collateral functions that relate to the primary product, such as packaging and

handling, or transportation; or

(3) Items to be separately identified at the time of shipment or performance.

(b) Informational subline items.

(1) Informational subline items may be used by agencies for administrative purposes. This type of
subline item identifies information that relates directly to the line item and is an integral part of it

(e.g., parts of an assembly or parts of a kit).

(2) Position informational subline items within the line item description, not in the quantity or price

fields.

4.1005 Data elements for line items and subline items.

4.1005-1 Required data elements.

(a) Except as provided in 4.1005-2, each line item or subline item shall include in the schedule

(described at 12.303(b)(4), 14.201-2, or 15.204-2, or in a comparable section of the procurement

instrument), at a minimum, the following information as separate, distinct data elements:

(1) Line item or subline item number established in accordance with agency procedures.

(2) Description of what is being purchased.

(3) Product or Service Code (PSC).

(4) Accounting classification citation.

(i) Line items or deliverable subline items. If multiple accounting classifications for a single

deliverable apply, include the dollar amount for each accounting classification in the schedule (or a

comparable section of the procurement instrument).

(ii) Informational subline items. An accounting classification citation is not required. (See 4.1004).

(5)

(i) For fixed-price line items:

(A) Unit of measure.

(B) Quantity.

(C) Unit price.

(D) Total price.

(ii) For cost-reimbursement line items:

(A) Unit of measure.

(B) Quantity.

(C) Estimated cost.

(D) Fee (if any).

(E) Total estimated cost plus any fee.
(b) If a contract contains a combination of fixed-price, time-and-materials, labor-hour, or costreimbursable line items, identify the contract type for each line item in the schedule (or a

comparable section of the procurement instrument) to facilitate payment.

(c) Each deliverable line item or deliverable subline item shall have its own delivery schedule,

destination, period of performance, or place of performance expressly stated in the appropriate

section of the procurement instrument ("as required" constitutes an expressly stated delivery term).

When a line item has deliverable subline items, the delivery schedule, destination, period of

performance, or place of performance shall be identified at the subline item level, rather than the

line item level.

(d) Terms and conditions in other sections of the contract (such as contract clauses or payment

instructions) shall also specify applicability to individual line items if not applicable to the contract

as a whole.

4.1005-2 Exceptions.

(a) Indefinite-delivery contracts-

(1) General. The following required data elements are not known at time of issuance of an indefinitedelivery contract, but shall be provided in each order at the time of issuance: accounting

classification, delivery date and destination, or period and place of performance.

(2) Indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) and requirements contracts.

(i) IDIQ and requirements contracts may omit the quantity at the line item level for the base award

provided that the total contract minimum and maximum, or the estimate, respectively, is stated.

(ii) Multiple-award IDIQ contracts awarded using the procedures at 13.106-1(a)(2)(iv)(A) or

15.304(c)(1)(ii)(A) may omit price or cost at the line item or subline item level for the contract

award, provided that the total contract minimum and maximum is stated (see 16.504(a)(1)).

(b) Item description and PSC. These data elements are not required in the line item if there are

associated deliverable subline items that include the actual detailed identification. When this

exception applies, use a general narrative description for the line item.

(c) Single unit price or single total price. The requirement for a single unit price or single total price

at the line item level does not apply if any of the following conditions are present:

(1) There are associated deliverable subline items that are priced.

(2) The line item or subline item is not separately priced.

(3) The supplies or services are being acquired on a cost-reimbursement, time-and-materials, or

labor-hour basis.

(4) The procurement instrument is for services and firm prices have been established for elements of

the total price, but the actual number of the elements is not known until performance (e.g., a laborhour contract for maintenance/repair). The contracting officer may structure these procurement

instruments to reflect a firm or estimated total amount for each line item.
4.1006 Modifications.

(a) When a new item (such as an increased quantity) is added to the procurement instrument, assign

a new line item number.

(b) If the modification relates to existing line items, the modification shall refer to those items.

4.1007 Solicitation alternative line item proposal.

Solicitations should be structured to allow offerors to propose alternative line items (see 4.1008 and

52.212-1(e)). For example, when soliciting certain items using units of measure such as kit, set, or

lot, the offeror may not be able to group and deliver all items in a single shipment.

4.1008 Solicitation provision.

Insert the provision at 52.204-22, Alternative Line Item Proposal, in all solicitations.