Federal Acquisition Regulation
Government Property
FAR 52.245-1
As prescribed in Contract clauses (FAR 45.107) (a) , insert the following clause: Government Property (Sep 2021) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause- Cannibalize means to remove parts from Government property for use or for installation on other Government property. Contractor-acquired property means property acquired, fabricated, or otherwise provided by the Contractor for performing a contract, and to which the Government has title. Contractor inventory means- (1) Any property acquired by and in the possession of a Contractor or subcontractor under a contract for which title is vested in the Government and which exceeds the amounts needed to complete full performance under the entire contract; (2) Any property that the Government is obligated or has the option to take over under any type of contract, e.g., as a result either of any changes in the specifications or plans thereunder or of the termination of the contract (or subcontract thereunder), before completion of the work, for the convenience or at the option of the Government; and (3) Government-furnished property that exceeds the amounts needed to complete full performance under the entire contract. Contractor’s managerial personnel means the Contractor’s directors, officers, managers, superintendents, or equivalent representatives who have supervision or direction of- (1) All or substantially all of the Contractor’s business; (2) All or substantially all of the Contractor’s operation at any one plant or separate location; or (3) A separate and complete major industrial operation. Demilitarization means rendering a product unusable for, and not restorable to, the purpose for which it was designed or is customarily used. Discrepancies incident to shipment means any differences (e.g., count or condition) between the items documented to have been shipped and items actually received. Equipment means a tangible item that is functionally complete for its intended purpose, durable, nonexpendable, and needed for the performance of a contract. Equipment is not intended for sale, and does not ordinarily lose its identity or become a component part of another article when put into use. Equipment does not include material, real property, special test equipment or special tooling. Government-furnished property means property in the possession of, or directly acquired by, the Government and subsequently furnished to the Contractor for performance of a contract. Government-furnished property includes, but is not limited to, spares and property furnished for repair, maintenance, overhaul, or modification. Government-furnished property also includes contractor-acquired property if the contractor-acquired property is a deliverable under a cost contract when accepted by the Government for continued use under the contract. Government property means all property owned or leased by the Government. Government property includes both Government- furnished and Contractor-acquired property. Government property includes material, equipment, special tooling, special test equipment, and real property. Government property does not include intellectual property and software. Loss of Government property means unintended, unforeseen or accidental loss, damage or destruction to Government property that reduces the Government’s expected economic benefits of the property. Loss of Government property does not include purposeful destructive testing, obsolescence, normal wear and tear or manufacturing defects. Loss of Government property includes, but is not limited to- (1) Items that cannot be found after a reasonable search; (2) Theft; (3) Damage resulting in unexpected harm to property requiring repair to restore the item to usable condition; or (4) Destruction resulting from incidents that render the item useless for its intended purpose or beyond economical repair. Material means property that may be consumed or expended during the performance of a contract, component parts of a higher assembly, or items that lose their individual identity through incorporation into an end item. Material does not include equipment, special tooling, special test equipment or real property. Nonseverable means property that cannot be removed after construction or installation without substantial loss of value or damage to the installed property or to the premises where installed. Precious metals means silver, gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium. Production scrap means unusable material resulting from production, engineering, operations and maintenance, repair, and research and development contract activities. Production scrap may have value when re-melted or reprocessed, e.g., textile and metal clippings, borings, and faulty castings and forgings. Property means all tangible property, both real and personal. Property Administrator means an authorized representative of the Contracting Officer appointed in accordance with agency procedures, responsible for administering the contract requirements and obligations relating to Government property in the possession of a Contractor. Property records means the records created and maintained by the contractor in support of its stewardship responsibilities for the management of Government property. Provide means to furnish, as in Government-furnished property, or to acquire, as in contractor-acquired property. Real property See Federal Management Regulation 102-71.20 (41 CFR 102-71.20 ). Sensitive property means property potentially dangerous to the public safety or security if stolen, lost, or misplaced, or that shall be subject to exceptional physical security, protection, control, and accountability. Examples include weapons, ammunition, explosives, controlled substances, radioactive materials, hazardous materials or wastes, or precious metals. Unit acquisition cost means- (1) For Government-furnished property, the dollar value assigned by the Government and identified in the contract; and (2) For contractor-acquired property, the cost derived from the Contractor’s records that reflect consistently applied generally accepted accounting principles. (b) Property management. (1) The Contractor shall have a system of internal controls to manage (control, use, preserve, protect, repair, and maintain) Government property in its possession. The system shall be adequate to satisfy the requirements of this clause. In doing so, the Contractor shall initiate and maintain the processes, systems, procedures, records, and methodologies necessary for effective and efficient control of Government property. The Contractor shall disclose any significant changes to its property management system to the Property Administrator prior to implementation of the changes. The Contractor may employ customary commercial practices, voluntary consensus standards, or industry-leading practices and standards that provide effective and efficient Government property management that are necessary and appropriate for the performance of this contract (except where inconsistent with law or regulation). (2) The Contractor’s responsibility extends from the initial acquisition and receipt of property, through stewardship, custody, and use until formally relieved of responsibility by authorized means, including delivery, consumption, expending, sale (as surplus property), or other disposition, or via a completed investigation, evaluation, and final determination for lost property. This requirement applies to all Government property under the Contractor’s accountability, stewardship, possession or control, including its vendors or subcontractors (see paragraph (f)(1)(v) of this clause). (3) The Contractor shall include the requirements of this clause in all subcontracts under which Government property is acquired or furnished for subcontract performance. (4) The Contractor shall establish and maintain procedures necessary to assess its property management system effectiveness and shall perform periodic internal reviews, surveillances, self assessments, or audits. Significant findings or results of such reviews and audits pertaining to Government property shall be made available to the Property Administrator. (c) Use of Government property. (1) The Contractor shall use Government property, either furnished or acquired under this contract, only for performing this contract, unless otherwise provided for in this contract or approved by the Contracting Officer. (2) Modifications or alterations of Government property are prohibited, unless they are- (i) Reasonable and necessary due to the scope of work under this contract or its terms and conditions; (ii) Required for normal maintenance; or (iii) Otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer. (3) The Contractor shall not cannibalize Government property unless otherwise provided for in this contract or approved by the Contracting Officer. (d) Government-furnished property. (1) The Government shall deliver to the Contractor the Government-furnished property described in this contract. The Government shall furnish related data and information needed for the intended use of the property. The warranties of suitability of use and timely delivery of Government-furnished property do not apply to property acquired or fabricated by the Contractor as contractor-acquired property and subsequently transferred to another contract with this Contractor. (2) The delivery and/or performance dates specified in this contract are based upon the expectation that the Government-furnished property will be suitable for contract performance and will be delivered to the Contractor by the dates stated in the contract. (i) If the property is not delivered to the Contractor by the dates stated in the contract, the Contracting Officer shall, upon the Contractor’s timely written request, consider an equitable adjustment to the contract. (ii) In the event property is received by the Contractor, or for Government-furnished property after receipt and installation, in a condition not suitable for its intended use, the Contracting Officer shall, upon the Contractor’s timely written request, advise the Contractor on a course of action to remedy the problem. Such action may include repairing, replacing, modifying, returning, or otherwise disposing of the property at the Government’s expense. Upon completion of the required action(s), the Contracting Officer shall consider an equitable adjustment to the contract (see also paragraph (f)(1)(ii)(A) of this clause). (iii) The Government may, at its option, furnish property in an "as-is" condition. The Contractor will be given the opportunity to inspect such property prior to the property being provided. In such cases, the Government makes no warranty with respect to the serviceability and/or suitability of the property for contract performance. Any repairs, replacement, and/or refurbishment shall be at the Contractor’s expense. (3) (i) The Contracting Officer may by written notice, at any time- (A) Increase or decrease the amount of Government-furnished property under this contract; (B) Substitute other Government-furnished property for the property previously furnished, to be furnished, or to be acquired by the Contractor for the Government under this contract; or (C) Withdraw authority to use property. (ii) Upon completion of any action(s) under paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this clause, and the Contractor’s timely written request, the Contracting Officer shall consider an equitable adjustment to the contract. (e) Title to Government property. (1) All Government-furnished property and all property acquired by the Contractor, title to which vests in the Government under this paragraph (collectively referred to as "Government property"), is subject to the provisions of this clause. The Government shall retain title to all Government-furnished property. Title to Government property shall not be affected by its incorporation into or attachment to any property not owned by the Government, nor shall Government property become a fixture or lose its identity as personal property by being attached to any real property. (2) Title vests in the Government for all property acquired or fabricated by the Contractor in accordance with the financing provisions or other specific requirements for passage of title in the contract. Under fixed price type contracts, in the absence of financing provisions or other specific requirements for passage of title in the contract, the Contractor retains title to all property acquired by the Contractor for use on the contract, except for property identified as a deliverable end item. If a deliverable item is to be retained by the Contractor for use after inspection and acceptance by the Government, it shall be made accountable to the contract through a contract modification listing the item as Government-furnished property. (3) Title under Cost-Reimbursement or Time-and-Material Contracts or Cost-Reimbursable line items under Fixed-Price contracts . (i) Title to all property purchased by the Contractor for which the Contractor is entitled to be reimbursed as a direct item of cost under this contract shall pass to and vest in the Government upon the vendor’s delivery of such property. (ii) Title to all other property, the cost of which is reimbursable to the Contractor, shall pass to and vest in the Government upon- (A) Issuance of the property for use in contract performance; (B) Commencement of processing of the property for use in contract performance; or (C) Reimbursement of the cost of the property by the Government, whichever occurs first. (f) Contractor plans and systems . (1) Contractors shall establish and implement property management plans, systems, and procedures at the contract, program, site or entity level to enable the following outcomes: (i) Acquisition of Property. The Contractor shall document that all property was acquired consistent with its engineering, production planning, and property control operations. (ii) Receipt of Government Property . The Contractor shall receive Government property and document the receipt, record the information necessary to meet the record requirements of paragraph (f)(1)(iii)(A)(1 ) through (5 ) of this clause, identify as Government owned in a manner appropriate to the type of property (e.g. , stamp, tag, mark, or other identification), and manage any discrepancies incident to shipment. (A) Government-furnished property . The Contractor shall furnish a written statement to the Property Administrator containing all relevant facts, such as cause or condition and a recommended course(s) of action, if overages, shortages, or damages and/or other discrepancies are discovered upon receipt of Government-furnished property. (B) Contractor-acquired property . The Contractor shall take all actions necessary to adjust for overages, shortages, damage and/or other discrepancies discovered upon receipt, in shipment of Contractor-acquired property from a vendor or supplier, so as to ensure the proper allocability and allowability of associated costs. (iii) Records of Government property. The Contractor shall create and maintain records of all Government property accountable to the contract, including Government-furnished and Contractor-acquired property. (A) Property records shall enable a complete, current, auditable record of all transactions and shall, unless otherwise approved by the Property Administrator, contain the following: (1) The name, part number and description, National Stock Number (if needed for additional item identification tracking and/or disposition), and other data elements as necessary and required in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. (2) Quantity received (or fabricated), issued, and balance-on-hand. (3) Unit acquisition cost. (4) Unique-item identifier or equivalent (if available and necessary for individual item tracking). (5) Unit of measure. (6) Accountable contract number or equivalent code