Federal Acquisition Regulation
General
FAR 9.302
First article testing and approval (hereafter referred to as testing and approval) ensures that the contractor can furnish a product that conforms to all contract requirements for acceptance. Before requiring testing and approval, the contracting officer shall consider the- (a) Impact on cost or time of delivery; (b) Risk to the Government of foregoing such test; and (c) Availability of other, less costly, methods of ensuring the desired quality.