Subpart 46.3 - Contract Clauses

Parent topic: Part 46 - Quality Assurance

46.301 Contractor inspection requirements.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-1, Contractor Inspection Requirements, in

solicitations and contracts for supplies or services when the contract amount is expected to be at or

below the simplified acquisition threshold and (a) inclusion of the clause is necessary to ensure an

explicit understanding of the contractor’s inspection responsibilities, or (b) inclusion of the clause is

required under agency procedures. The clause shall not be used if the contracting officer has made

the determination specified in 46.202-2(b).

46.302 Fixed-price supply contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-2, Inspection of Supplies-Fixed-Price, in

solicitations and contracts for supplies, or services that involve the furnishing of supplies, when a

fixed-price contract is contemplated and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified

acquisition threshold. The contracting officer may insert the clause in such solicitations and

contracts when the contract amount is expected to be at or below the simplified acquisition

threshold and inclusion of the clause is in the Government’s interest. If a fixed-price incentive

contract is contemplated, the contracting officer shall use the clause with its AlternateI. If a fixedceiling-price contract with retroactive price redetermination is contemplated, the contracting officer

shall use the clause with its AlternateII.

46.303 Cost-reimbursement supply contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-3, Inspection of Supplies-CostReimbursement, in solicitations and contracts for supplies, or services that involve the furnishing of

supplies, when a cost-reimbursement contract is contemplated.

46.304 Fixed-price service contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-4, Inspection of Services-Fixed-Price, in

solicitations and contracts for services, or supplies that involve the furnishing of services, when a

fixed-price contract is contemplated and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified

acquisition threshold. The contracting officer may insert the clause in such solicitations and

contracts when the contract amount is expected to be at or below the simplified acquisition

threshold and inclusion is in the Government’s interest.
46.305 Cost-reimbursement service contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-5, Inspection of Services-Cost

Reimbursement, in solicitations and contracts for services, or supplies that involve the furnishing of

services, when a cost-reimbursement contract is contemplated.

46.306 Time-and-material and labor-hour contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-6, Inspection-Time-and-Material and LaborHour, in solicitations and contracts when a time-and-material contract or a labor-hour contract is

contemplated. If Government inspection and acceptance are to be performed at the contractor’s

plant, the contracting officer shall use the clause with its AlternateI.

46.307 Fixed-price research and development contracts.

(a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-7, Inspection of Research and

Development-Fixed-Price, in solicitations and contracts for research and development when-

(1) The primary objective of the contract is the delivery of end items other than designs, drawings,

or reports,

(2) A fixed-price contract is contemplated, and

(3) The contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold; unless use of the

clause is impractical and the clause prescribed in 46.309 is considered to be more appropriate.

(b) The contracting officer may insert the clause in such solicitations and contracts when the

contract amount is expected to be at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, and its use is in

the Government’s interest.

46.308 Cost-reimbursement research and development

contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-8, Inspection of Research and DevelopmentCost-Reimbursement, in solicitations and contracts for research and development when (a) the

primary objective of the contract is the delivery of end items other than designs, drawings, or

reports, and (b)a cost-reimbursement contract is contemplated; unless use of the clause is

impractical and the clause prescribed in 46.309 is considered to be more appropriate. If it is

contemplated that the contract will be on a no-fee basis, the contracting officer shall use the clause

with its AlternateI.
46.309 Research and development contracts (short form).

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-9, Inspection of Research and Development

(Short Form), in solicitations and contracts for research and development when the clause

prescribed in 46.307 or the clause prescribed in 46.308 is not used.

46.310 [Reserved]

46.311 Higher-level contract quality requirement.

(a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-11, Higher-Level Contract Quality

Requirement, in solicitations and contracts when the inclusion of a higher-level contract quality

requirement is necessary (see 46.202-4).

(b) For each higher-level quality standard, the contracting officer shall fill in the title, number, date,

and tailoring (if any).

46.312 Construction contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-12, Inspection of Construction, in

solicitations and contracts for construction when a fixed-price contract is contemplated and the

contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The contracting officer

may insert the clause in such solicitations and contracts when the contract amount is expected to be

at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, and its use is in the Government’s interest.

46.313 Contracts for dismantling, demolition, or removal of

improvements.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-13, Inspection-Dismantling, Demolition, or

Removal of Improvements, in solicitations and contracts for dismantling, demolition, or removal of

improvements.

46.314 Transportation contracts.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-14, Inspection of Transportation, in

solicitations and contracts for freight transportation services (including local drayage) by rail, motor

(including bus), domestic freight forwarder, and domestic water carriers (including inland,

coastwise, and intercoastal). The contracting officer shall not use the clause for the acquisition of

transportation services by domestic or international air carriers or by international ocean carriers,

or to freight services provided under bills of lading or to those negotiated for reduced rates under 49

U.S.C. 10721 or 1 3712. (See part 47, Transportation.)
46.315 Certificate of conformance.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-15, Certificate of Conformance, in

solicitations and contracts for supplies or services when the conditions in 46.504 apply.

46.316 Responsibility for supplies.

The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-16, Responsibility for Supplies, in

solicitations and contracts for (a) supplies, (b) services involving the furnishing of supplies, or (c)

research and development, when a fixed-price contract is contemplated and the contract amount is

expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The contracting officer may insert the clause

in such solicitations and contracts when the contract amount is not expected to exceed the simplified

acquisition threshold and inclusion of the clause is authorized under agency procedures.

46.317 Reporting Nonconforming Items.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the contracting officer shall insert the clause

at 52.246-26, Reporting Nonconforming Items, in solicitations and contracts - as follows:

(1) For an acquisition by any agency, including the Department of Defense, of–

(i) Any items that are subject to higher-level quality standards in accordance with the clause at

52.246-11, Higher-Level Contract Quality Requirement;

(ii) Any items that the contracting officer, in consultation with the requiring activity determines to be

critical items for which use of the clause is appropriate;

(2) In addition (as required by paragraph (c)(4) of section 818 of the National Defense Authorization

Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Pub. L. 112-81)), for an acquisition that exceeds the simplified acquisition

threshold and is by, or for, the Department of Defense of electronic parts or end items, components,

parts, or materials containing electronic parts, whether or not covered in paragraph (a)(1) of this

section; or

(3) For the acquisition of services, if the contractor will furnish, as part of the service, any items that

meet the criteria specified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(2) of this section.

(b) The contracting officer shall not insert the clause at 52.246-26, Reporting Nonconforming Items,

in solicitations and contracts when acquiring—

(1) Commercial products and commercial services using part 12 procedures; or

(2) Medical devices that are subject to the Food and Drug Administration reporting requirements at

21 CFR 803.

(c) If required by agency policy, the contracting officer may modify paragraph (b)(4) of the clause at

52.246-26, but only to change the responsibility for the contractor to submit reports to the agency

rather than to Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP), so that the agency instead of
the contractor submits reports to GIDEP within the mandatory 60 days.