Subpart 204.71 - UNIFORM CONTRACT LINE

ITEM NUMBERING SYSTEM

Parent topic: Part 204 - ADMINISTRATIVE AND INFORMATION MATTERS

204.7100 Scope.

This subpart prescribes policies and procedures for assigning contract line item numbers.

204.7101 Definitions.

“Accounting classification reference number (ACRN)” means any combination of a two position

alpha/numeric code used as a method of relating the accounting classification citation to detailed

line item information contained in the schedule.

“Attachment” means any documentation, appended to a contract or incorporated by reference,

which does not establish a requirement for deliverables.

“Definitized item,” as used in this subpart, means an item for which a firm price has been

established in the basic contract or by modification.

“Exhibit” means a document, referred to in a contract, which is attached and establishes

requirements for deliverables. The term shall not be used to refer to any other kind of attachment to

a contract. The DD Form 1423, Contract Data Requirements List, is always an exhibit, rather than an

attachment.

“Nonseverable deliverable,” as used in this subpart, means a deliverable item that is a single end

product or undertaking, entire in nature, that cannot be feasibly subdivided into discrete elements

or phases without losing its identity.

“Undefinitized item,” as used in this subpart, means an item for which a price has not been

established in the basic contract or by modification.

204.7102 Policy.

(a) The numbering procedures of this subpart shall apply to all—

(1) Solicitations;

(2) Solicitation line and subline item numbers;

(3) Contracts as defined in FAR Subpart 2.1;

(4) Contract line and subline item numbers;

(5) Exhibits;
(6) Exhibit line items; and

(7) Any other document expected to become part of the contract.

(b) The numbering procedures are mandatory for all contracts where separate contract line item

numbers are assigned, unless—

(1) The contract is an indefinite-delivery type for petroleum products against which posts, camps,

and stations issue delivery orders for products to be consumed by them; or

(2) The contract is a communications service authorization issued by the Defense Information

Systems Agency's Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization.

204.7103 Contract line items.

Follow the procedures at PGI 204.7103 for establishing contract line items.

204.7103-1 Criteria for establishing.

Contracts shall identify the items or services to be acquired as separate contract line items unless it

is not feasible to do so.

(a) Contract line items shall have all four of the following characteristics; however, there are

exceptions within the characteristics, which may make establishing a separate contract line item

appropriate even though one of the characteristics appears to be missing—

(1) Single unit price. The item shall have a single unit price or a single total price, except—

(i) If the item is not separately priced (NSP) but the price is included in the unit price of another

contract line item, enter NSP instead of the unit price;

(ii) When there are associated subline items, established for other than informational reasons, and

those subline items are priced in accordance with 204.7104 ;

(iii) When the items or services are being acquired on a cost-reimbursement contract;

(iv) When the contract is for maintenance and repair services (e.g., a labor hour contract) and firm

prices have been established for elements of the total price of an item but the actual number and

quantity of the elements are not known until performance. The contracting officer may structure

these contracts to reflect a firm or estimated total amount for each line item;

(v) When the contract line item is established to refer to an exhibit or an attachment (if management

needs dictate that a unit price be entered, the price shall be set forth in the item description block

and enclosed in parentheses); or

(vi) When the contract is an indefinite delivery type contract and provides that the price of an item

shall be determined at the time a delivery order is placed and the price is influenced by such factors

as the quantity ordered (e.g., 10-99 @ $1.00, 100-249 @ $.98, 250+ @ $.95), the destination, the

FOB point, or the type of packaging required.
(2) Separately identifiable. A contract line item must be identified separately from any other items or

services on the contract.

(i) Supplies are separately identifiable if they have no more than one—

(A) National stock number (NSN);

(B) Item description; or

(C) Manufacturer's part number.

(ii) Services are separately identifiable if they have no more than one—

(A) Scope of work; or

(B) Description of services.

(iii) This requirement does not apply if there are associated subline items, established for other than

informational reasons, and those subline items include the actual detailed identification in

accordance with 204.7104 . Where this exception applies, use a general narrative description

instead of the contract item description.

(3) Separate delivery schedule. Each contract line item or service shall have its own delivery

schedule, period of performance, or completion date expressly stated (“as required” constitutes an

expressly stated delivery term).

(i) The fact that there is more than one delivery date, destination, performance date, or performance

point may be a determining factor in the decision as to whether to establish more than one contract

line item.

(ii) If a contract line item has more than one destination or delivery date, the contracting officer may

create individual contract line items for the different destinations or delivery dates, or may specify

the different delivery dates for the units by destination in the delivery schedule.

(4) Single accounting classification citation.

(i) Each contract line item shall reference a single accounting classification citation except as

provided in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) of this subsection.

(ii) The use of multiple accounting classification citations for a contract line item is authorized in the

following situations:

(A) A single, nonseverable deliverable to be paid for with R&D or other funds properly incrementally

obligated over several fiscal years in accordance with DoD policy;

(B) A single, nonseverable deliverable to be paid for with different authorizations or appropriations,

such as in the acquisition of a satellite or the modification of production tooling used to produce

items being acquired by several activities; or

(C) A modification to an existing contract line item for a nonseverable deliverable that results in the

delivery of a modified item(s) where the item(s) and modification are to be paid for with different

accounting classification citations.

(iii) When the use of multiple accounting classification citations is authorized for a single contract
line item, establish informational subline items for each accounting classification citation in

accordance with 204.7105 .

(b) All subline items and exhibit line items under one contract line item shall be the same contract

type as the contract line item.

(c) For a contract that contains a combination of fixed-price line items, time-and-materials/laborhour line items, and/or cost-reimbursement line items, identify the contract type for each contract

line item in Section B, Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs, to facilitate appropriate payment.

(d) Exhibits may be used as an alternative to putting a long list of contract line items in the schedule.

If exhibits are used, create a contract line item citing the exhibit's identifier. See 204.7105.

(e) If the contract involves a test model or a first article which must be approved, establish a

separate contract line item or subline item for each item of supply or service which must be

approved. If the test model or first article consists of a lot composed of a mixture of items, a single

line item or subline item may be used for the lot.

(f) If a supply or service involves ancillary functions, like packaging and handling, transportation,

payment of state or local taxes, or use of reusable containers, and these functions are normally

performed by the contractor and the contractor is normally entitled to reimbursement for

performing these functions, do not establish a separate contract line item solely to account for these

functions. However, do identify the functions in the contract schedule. If the offeror separately

prices these functions, contracting officers may establish separate contract line items for the

functions; however, the separate line items must conform to the requirements of paragraph (a) of

this subsection.

(g) Certain commercial products and initial provisioning spares for weapons systems are requested

and subsequently solicited using units of measure such as kit, set, or lot. However, there are times

when individual items within that kit, set, or lot are not grouped and delivered in a single shipment.

This creates potential contract administration issues with inspection, acceptance, and payment. In

such cases, solicitations should be structured to allow offerors to provide information about products

that may not have been known to the Government prior to solicitation and propose an alternate line

item structure as long as the alternate is consistent with the requirements of 204.71, which provides

explicit guidance on the use of contract line items and subline items, and with PGI 204.71 .

204.7103-2 Numbering procedures.

Follow the procedures at PGI 204.7103-2 for numbering contract line items.

204.7104 Contract subline items.

204.7104-1 Criteria for establishing.

Contract subline items provide flexibility to further identify elements within a contract line item for

tracking performance or simplifying administration. There are only two kinds of subline items: those

which are informational in nature and those which consist of more than one item that requires

separate identification.
(a) Informational subline items.

(1) This type of subline item identifies information that relates directly to the contract line item and

is an integral part of it (e.g., parts of an assembly or parts of a kit). These subline items shall not be

scheduled separately for delivery, identified separately for shipment or performance, or priced

separately for payment purposes.

(2) The informational subline item may include quantities, prices, or amounts, if necessary to satisfy

management requirements. However, these elements shall be included within the item description in

the supplies/services column and enclosed in parentheses to prevent confusing them with quantities,

prices, or amounts that have contractual significance. Do not enter these elements in the quantity

and price columns.

(3) Informational subline items shall be used to identify each accounting classification citation

assigned to a single contract line item number when use of multiple citations is authorized (see

204.7103-1 (a)(4)(ii)).

(b) Separately identified subline items.

(1) Subline items will be used instead of contract line items to facilitate payment, delivery tracking,

contract funds accounting, or other management purposes. Such subline items shall be used when

items bought under one contract line item number—

(i) Are to be paid for from more than one accounting classification. A subline item shall be

established for the quantity associated with the single accounting classification citation. Establish a

line item rather than a subline item if it is likely that a subline item may be assigned additional

accounting classification citations at a later date. Identify the funding as described in 204.7104-1

(a)(3);

(ii) Are to be packaged in different sizes, each represented by its own NSN;

(iii) Have collateral costs, such as packaging costs, but those costs are not a part of the unit price of

the contract line item;

(iv) Have different delivery dates or destinations or requisitions, or a combination of the three; or

(v) Identify parts of an assembly or kit which—

(A) Have to be separately identified at the time of shipment or performance; and

(B) Are separately priced.

(2) Each separately identified contract subline item shall have its own—

(i) Delivery schedule, period of performance, or completion date;

(ii) Unit price or single total price or amount (not separately priced (NSP) is acceptable as an entry

for price or amount if the price is included in another subline item or a different contract line item).

This requirement does not apply—

(A) If the subline item was created to refer to an exhibit or an attachment. If management needs

dictate that a unit price be entered, the price shall be set forth in the item description block of the

schedule and enclosed in parentheses; or
(B) In the case of indefinite delivery contracts described at 204.7103-1 (a)(1)(vi).

(iii) Identification (e.g., NSN, item description, manufacturer's part number, scope of work,

description of services).

(3) Unit prices and extended amounts.

(i) The unit price and total amount for all subline items may be entered at the contract line item

number level if the unit price for the subline items is identical. If there is any variation, the subline

item unit prices shall be entered at the subline item level only.

(ii) The unit price and extended amounts may be entered at the subline items level.

(iii) The two methods in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section shall not be combined in a

contract line item.

(iv) When the price for items not separately priced is included in the price of another contract line or

subline item, it may be necessary to withhold payment on the priced contract line or subline item

until the included line or subline items that are not separately priced have been delivered. See the

clause at 252.204-7002 , Payment for Contract Line or Subline Items Not Separately Priced.

204.7104-2 Numbering procedures.

Follow the procedures at PGI 204.7104-2 for numbering contract subline items.

204.7105 Contract exhibits and attachments.

Follow the procedures at PGI 204.7105 for use and numbering of contract exhibits and attachments.

204.7106 Contract modifications.

(a) If new items are added, assign new contract line or subline item numbers or exhibit line item

numbers, in accordance with the procedures established at 204.7103 , 204.7104 , and 204.7105 .

(b) Modifications to existing contract line items or exhibit line items.

(1) If the modification relates to existing contract line items or exhibit line items, the modification

shall refer to those item numbers.

(2) If the contracting officer decides to assign new identifications to existing contract or exhibit line

items, the following rules apply—

(i) Definitized and undefinitized items.

(A) The original line item or subline item number may be used if the modification applies to the total

quantity of the original line item or subline.

(B) The original line item or subline item number may be used if the modification makes only minor
changes in the specifications of some of the items ordered on the original line item or subline item

and the resulting changes in unit price can be averaged to provide a new single unit price for the

total quantity. If the changes in the specifications make the item significantly distinguishable from

the original item or the resulting changes in unit price cannot be averaged, create a new line item.

(C) If the modification affects only a partial quantity of an existing contract line item or subline item

or exhibit line item and the change does not involve either the delivery date or the ship-to/mark-for

data, the original contract line item or subline item or exhibit line item number shall remain with the

unchanged quantity. Assign the changed quantity the next available number.

(ii) Undefinitized items. In addition to the rules in paragraph (b)(2)(i), the following additional rules

apply to undefinitized items—

(A) If the modification is undefinitized and increases the quantity of an existing definitized item,

assign the undefinitized quantity the next available number.

(B) If the modification increases the quantity of an existing undefinitized item, the original contract

line item or subline item or exhibit line item may be used if the unit price for the new quantity is

expected to be the same as the price for the original quantity. If the unit prices of the two quantities

will be different, assign the new quantity the next available number.

(C) If the modification both affects only a partial quantity of the existing contract line item or subline

item or exhibit line item and definitizes the price for the affected portion, the definitized portion

shall retain the original item number. If there is any undefinitized portion of the item, assign it the

next available number. However, if the modification definitizes the price for the whole quantity of

the line item, and price impact of the changed work can be apportioned equally over the whole to

arrive at a new unit price, the quantity with the changes can be added into the quantity of the

existing item.

(D) If the modification affects only a partial quantity of an existing contract line item or subline item

or exhibit line item, but does not change the delivery schedule or definitize price, the unchanged

portion shall retain the original contract line item or subline item or exhibit line item number. Assign

the changed portion the next available number.

(3) If the modification will decrease the amount obligated—

(i) There shall be coordination between the administrative and procuring contracting offices before

issuance of the modification; and

(ii) The contracting officer shall not issue the modification unless sufficient unliquidated obligation

exists or the purpose is to recover monies owed to the Government.

204.7107 Contract accounting classification reference

number (ACRN) and agency accounting identifier (AAI).

Traceability of funds from accounting systems to contract actions is accomplished using ACRNs and

AAIs. Follow the procedures at PGI 204.7107 for use of ACRNs and AAIs.
204.7108 Payment instructions.

Follow the procedures at PGI 204.7108 for inclusion of payment instructions in contracts.

204.7109 Contract clauses.

(a) Use the clause at 252.204-7002 , Payment for Contract Line or Subline Items Not Separately

Priced, in solicitations and contracts when the price for items not separately priced is included in the

price of another contract line or subline item.

(b) Use the clause at 252.204-7006 , Billing Instructions-Cost Vouchers, in solicitations and contracts

when a cost-reimbursement contract, a time-and-materials contract, or a labor-hour contract is

contemplated.