FAR Part 13 has long been the government's fast lane for smaller purchases, but under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul it now does a narrower job. The class deviations agencies issued from late 2025 onward limit Part 13 to noncommercial buys at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, and move the simplified procedures for commercial products and services into Part 12. A proposed rule published on September 18, 2026 would make that change permanent. If you sell to the government, and especially if you are a small business, many of your opportunities sit in this dollar range. Here is what the rules say now and what is changing.
Quick answer: Since October 1, 2025, the micro-purchase threshold is $15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) is $350,000. Under the FAR overhaul class deviations, Part 13 covers only noncommercial acquisitions above $15,000 and up to $350,000. Commercial buys, including simplified procedures up to $9 million ($15 million in certain emergency cases), are handled in Part 12, and a proposed rule to codify the change is open for comment until October 19, 2026.
Three numbers frame simplified buying. The micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, the simplified acquisition threshold is $350,000, and simplified procedures for commercial products and services can run up to $9 million, or $15 million in specified emergency situations. Above those lines, agencies move to the more formal procedures used for larger acquisitions.
These figures took effect on October 1, 2025, through the FAR Council's inflation adjustment rule (FAR Case 2024-001), which raised the micro-purchase threshold from $10,000, the SAT from $250,000 and the commercial ceiling from $7.5 million. There are exceptions written into the FAR 2.101 definitions. The micro-purchase threshold is only $2,000 for construction subject to the Wage Rate Requirements statute and $2,500 for services subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards. In the other direction, when an agency head determines a purchase supports a contingency operation, defense against certain attacks, international disaster assistance or an emergency or major disaster response, the SAT rises to $1 million for purchases inside the United States and $2 million outside it.
The idea behind all of this is proportionality: the government should not spend more administering a purchase than the purchase is worth. So below the SAT the paperwork is lighter, the timelines shorter and the evaluation simpler, while competition and accountability stay in place. For the bigger picture of how a buy moves from need to award, see our guide to the government procurement cycle.
The Part 13 class deviation, based on FAR Council model text issued September 18, 2025, rewrote Part 13 as "Simplified Procedures for Noncommercial Acquisitions." The new Part 13 may be used only when no commercial product or commercial service can meet the agency's need, and only for buys above the micro-purchase threshold and at or below the SAT.
Some background helps here. Under Executive Order 14275 and OMB memo M-25-26, the FAR Council published rewritten FAR text part by part, and each agency then issued its own class deviation telling its contracting officers to use that text in place of the codified FAR. The FAR overhaul deviation guide lists more than 30 agencies with Part 13 deviations, including GSA, DoD, NASA, DHS and VA. Effective dates differ by agency. DoD's deviation, for example, took effect February 1, 2026, and stays in place until it is rescinded or incorporated into the FAR. So check which agency is buying and which rules the solicitation cites.
Here is what the overhauled Part 13 actually does. Commercial buying moved out: the request for quotation (RFQ) procedures now live at FAR 12.201-1, micro-purchases at subpart 12.4, and the $9 million commercial ceiling at 12.001(c) of the overhauled Part 12. Part 13 now points to those sections for noncommercial buys too, telling contracting officers to issue RFQs under 12.201-1, evaluate under 12.203 and make micro-purchases under 12.4. It keeps its own rules on competition, small business set-asides, price reasonableness, award documentation and clauses. Noncommercial purchase orders can use the streamlined clause at 52.213-4, and the Part 12 commercial clauses (52.212-1, 52.212-2 and 52.212-4) must not be used in noncommercial buys. Contract financing is generally not provided at or below the SAT unless agency regulations allow it, and fast payment now sits in Part 32.
What does this mean for you? Your commercial status decides which part of the FAR governs your buy. If your offering meets the FAR definitions of a commercial product or commercial service, you are in Part 12 territory, with simplified procedures available up to $9 million. The FAR Council itself notes that the majority of smaller-dollar procurements are for commercial products and services. Make your commercial status clear in your capability statement and quotes, and read our guide to FAR Part 12 commercial acquisitions for how that side works.
Fast payment lets the government pay a supplier on its invoice before verifying receipt and acceptance. The invoice acts as a certification that you delivered the supplies to a post office, common carrier or point of first receipt, and that you will replace, repair or correct anything lost, damaged in transit or not conforming to the order.
Under the overhaul, fast payment is no longer in Part 13. It sits in its own subpart of the overhauled FAR Part 32, and the FAR Council has said it applies to both commercial and noncommercial acquisitions at or below the SAT. The conditions are specific. The contract or order must not exceed the SAT, although agencies may allow higher limits for specified activities or items case by case. Deliveries must go to locations where distance and poor communications between the receiving and paying offices make it impractical to pay on proof of acceptance. Title passes when the supplies are handed to a post office or common carrier, or on receipt by the government. And you must agree to replace, repair or correct supplies that are lost, damaged or nonconforming.
So fast payment is a tool for supplies in particular situations, not a general feature of every small purchase. When an order does use it, ship transportation or postage prepaid, send invoices to the office named in the order, and keep good shipping records. The contracting officer is responsible for working out any debt if a supplier fails to replace or correct goods, so accurate paperwork protects you as much as the government.
Simplified does not mean uncompetitive. Under the overhauled Part 13, agencies must promote competition to the maximum extent practicable, and buys above the micro-purchase threshold and at or below the SAT must be set aside for small business concerns, with FAR Part 19 governing how set-asides work.
The RFQ mechanics come from 12.201-1. Agencies normally post RFQs on SAM.gov, the governmentwide point of entry. At or below the SAT, the contracting officer may instead solicit quotes directly, but must then post a presolicitation notice unless an exception applies, ask at least three sources, and whenever practicable ask two sources not included in the previous solicitation. A single-source purchase is allowed only with a written determination that just one source is reasonably available. That is why visibility matters: an active SAM registration, the right NAICS codes and a clear capability statement put you on the list when an officer does market research. If RFQs are new to you, our guide to RFPs, RFQs, RFIs and SOWs explains the differences.
Evaluation follows 12.203. For most buys the factors need not go beyond technical capability, price and past performance. Past performance should be an important factor, and officers may consider your experience as a subcontractor and, for some products, your commercial market experience. The officer must tell quoters the basis on which the award decision will be made, so read that section of the RFQ carefully and answer it directly.
For small businesses this is prime territory, because the set-aside rule keeps most of these buys among small firms. The socioeconomic programs, such as 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned and women-owned small business, can narrow the field further; the Small Business Administration explains eligibility for each. At the bottom of the range, micro-purchases up to $15,000 follow subpart 12.4. The governmentwide purchase card is a primary method, a micro-purchase can be awarded without competitive quotes if the price is considered reasonable, and buyers are asked to spread micro-purchases fairly among qualified suppliers where practicable. Make yourself easy to buy from by card, and these small orders can add up.
The paperwork is lighter under Part 13, but it is not gone. The contracting officer must determine that the price is fair and reasonable, using competitive quotes whenever possible, and the file must describe the procedures used and the number of quotes received. Awards are usually issued on Optional Form 347 or a similar agency format.
You can make that price reasonableness decision easier. Give a clear price breakdown, state what is included, and point to comparable sales where you can. Our guidance on government proposal writing translates directly to writing a clean, compliant quote.
Know how the contract actually forms. Under 12.201-1, which Part 13 follows, neither your quote nor the government's purchase order is a binding contract on its own. The purchase order is the government's offer, and a contract forms when you accept it in writing or by substantially performing. Before acceptance, the government can withdraw, amend or cancel the order by written notice. If you have already started work and the order is cancelled, the termination procedures in Part 49 or the 52.213-4 clause apply. After award, the agency must follow the award notice rules in subpart 5.3 and, if you ask, give a brief explanation of why your quote was not selected. Ask for that explanation. It is free feedback for your next bid.
Part 13 also works with ordering tools. Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) let agencies fill repeat needs through "charge accounts" with qualified suppliers, and under Part 13 each individual purchase under a BPA may not exceed the SAT. Orders under GSA Schedules follow the ordering procedures in FAR Part 8 rather than Part 13. Know which vehicles you hold and keep your pricing current. To see simplified acquisitions alongside other federal opportunities in one place, you can use OryonIQ Polaris.
The deviation is the interim step. On September 18, 2026, the FAR Council published a proposed rule, FAR Case 2026-003, to codify the overhauled FAR Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44 and 51. Comments are due by October 19, 2026, through regulations.gov, citing FAR Case 2026-003.
For Part 13, the proposed rule matches the deviation. Part 13 would cover only noncommercial acquisitions at or below the SAT, cross-reference Part 12 instead of repeating its text, and move fast payment into a standalone subpart of Part 32. The text and the 52.213-4 clause would be rewritten in plain language, with "must" and "will" replacing "shall." For commercial buying, the rule would move the $9 million and $15 million simplified procedures authority from subpart 13.5 into Part 12, which the FAR Council describes as a "one-stop shop" for commercial acquisitions. The rule is one of twelve proposed rules that together cover the whole FAR.
Until a final rule is issued, the codified FAR on Acquisition.gov still shows the old Part 13 structure, including subpart 13.5, while agencies operate under their deviations. If these changes affect how you sell, read the proposed rule and consider commenting before the deadline. Then watch the Federal Register for the final rule.
Part 13 buys move quickly, so it pays to see them early. Polaris gives you one search across SAM.gov opportunities, refreshed daily, simplified acquisitions, and state and local bids. You can filter by keyword, agency, NAICS, set-aside and response date, and save opportunities to a watchlist.
Ask Oryon, the OryonIQ AI assistant, answers FAR and DFARS questions in plain English, which helps when you need to check whether a buy falls under Part 12 or Part 13. Insights brings government and public-sector news and policy updates together, searchable by provider, category and date, so you can follow the overhaul as it moves to a final rule. A free plan is available, and you can create a free account without a credit card.
Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul class deviations, Part 13 covers simplified procedures for noncommercial products and services valued above the $15,000 micro-purchase threshold and at or below the $350,000 simplified acquisition threshold. Purchases of commercial products and commercial services are handled under FAR Part 12.
It is an agency-issued authorization to use the FAR Council's rewritten Part 13 model text, released September 18, 2025, in place of the codified FAR. More than 30 agencies, including GSA and DoD, have issued one. It limits Part 13 to noncommercial buys at or below the SAT and moves commercial simplified procedures to Part 12.
Since October 1, 2025, the micro-purchase threshold is $15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold is $350,000. Lower micro-purchase limits apply to certain construction ($2,000) and service contracts ($2,500), and higher limits apply to specified contingency and emergency purchases.
Up to $9 million, or $15 million when the agency head determines the purchase supports a contingency operation or certain other emergency purposes. Under the overhaul deviations this authority sits in FAR Part 12 rather than FAR Subpart 13.5.
Yes. FAR Case 2026-003, published in the Federal Register on September 18, 2026, proposes to codify the overhauled FAR Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44 and 51. Comments are due by October 19, 2026 through regulations.gov.
Fast payment lets the government pay for supplies on the supplier's invoice before it verifies receipt and acceptance, when the order is at or below the SAT and other conditions are met. Under the overhaul, these procedures sit in FAR Part 32.
Are you curious about the networking events near you? Together we can expand your network and watch your pipeline exponentially grow.
Our mission is to empower the GovCon community to make better data driven decisions based on social relationships and opportunity data that is actionable, measurable, and trackable.
