GSA announces FAR class deviations, guidance for contracting officers

February 18, 2025

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it issued two deviations to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and procurement practices on Saturday, February 15, 2025. These deviations are necessary to implement President Trump’s Executive Order(s):

• Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.
• Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.
• Section 2 of Executive Order 14208 Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws.

GSA is taking these actions under the authority of FAR 1.404 and General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM) 501.404, and in consultation with the Chair of the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC), in accordance with FAR 1.404.

“These actions are the first steps in transforming the FAR into a sensible, common sense guideline to ensure that the federal government is working with industry as an attractive partner for business,” said FAS Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum. “The FAR has grown to more than 2,000 pages - it’s burdensome, outdated, and doesn’t allow agencies to buy at the speed of need, which leads to poor outcomes for the public we serve. The time is now to streamline the FAR to better align with commercial practices. GSA looks forward to working with the members of the FAR Council on this important work.”

These deviations to the FAR will allow federal contracting officers to amend or modify current solicitations and contracts without penalty to the government or the contract holder.

“The steps taken by GSA will make it easier for industry to sell their products and services to the government,” said GSA Acting Administrator and Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian. “GSA is leading the way in transforming government and strongly encourages other agencies to follow our lead.”

The FAR is a set of regulations that governs how the government acquires goods and services with procurement contracts. The FAR was first issued on April 1, 1984, and has developed significantly over the years. It is now issued under joint authority of the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and NASA. The FAR is codified in Parts 1 through 53 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government. GSA manages a nationwide real estate portfolio of over 360 million rentable square feet, oversees more than $110 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivers technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.