The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is undergoing significant revisions designed to streamline procurement processes and enhance efficiency within federal agencies. Recent Executive actions, including Executive Order 14275, “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement,” have set the stage for a comprehensive overhaul of the Government’s acquisition system, with particular emphasis on the U.S. Department of Defense.

Our Decoding the FAR Overhaul site is tracking the “Revolutionary” FAR Overhaul and provides timely information on the overhaul process and the revised FAR Parts as they are posted to the Government’s FAR Overhaul website, ensuring that you are well-positioned to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape for federal acquisitions. Our Government Contracts Practice stands ready to advise contractors on the implications of the FAR Overhaul, how to learn about and adapt to the changing rules, and how to make their voices heard. 

Click a link to jump to one of the sections below:

Executive Order 14275
The FAR Overhaul
FAR Overhaul Approach
Strategic Acquisition Guidance
Key Takeaways on the RFO
Summary of Overhauled FAR Parts
FAR Part 1 (Federal Acquisition Regulations System)
FAR Part 10 (Market Research)
FAR Part 18 (Emergency Services)
FAR Part 34 (Major System Acquisition)
FAR Part 39 (Acquisition of Information and Communication Technology)
FAR Part 43 (Contract Modifications)

Executive Order 14275

On April 15, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14275, “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement,” initiating the most comprehensive overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) since its inception over 40 years ago. The Order identifies the current FAR as “an excessive and overcomplicated regulatory framework” that has resulted in “an onerous bureaucracy” and aims to transform it into a streamlined set of essential regulations. EO 14275 establishes a policy direction “to create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible” by directing that the FAR should contain “only provisions required by statute or essential to sound procurement.” The Order builds upon several other Trump Administration Executive Orders focused on deregulation across federal agencies and improving federal procurements.

The FAR Overhaul

EO 14275 initiated a “revolutionary” overhaul of the FAR. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and the FAR Council, with the General Services Administration, have established a dedicated landing page on Acquisition.gov called the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul” (RFO) website. This site serves as the central repository for revised FAR Parts as they are completed and includes:

FAR Overhaul Approach

Timeline: EO 14275 sets an aggressive timeline – requiring the OFPP Administrator to work with the FAR Council to amend the FAR within 180 days (by October 13, 2025). Agencies were required to designate senior acquisition officials by April 30, 2025, and to identify FAR provisions inconsistent with the Order’s policy objectives.

Phased Implementation and a “Caveat”: The initiative employs a two-phase approach:

  1. Immediate Implementation Through Class Deviations: The FAR Council issues model FAR deviation text on a rolling basis by FAR Part. Agencies are generally directed to issue agency-specific class deviations within 30 days of model text publication on the RFO website. The FAR Council also issued deviation guidance for agencies to follow.
  2. Formal Rulemaking: Following issuance of all revised FAR Parts, the FAR Council will undertake formal rulemaking through the notice and comment process as required by 41 U.S.C. § 1707.

With the upload of revised FAR Part 10, the RFO website now also includes a “caveat” that the FAR Council-created deviations include clauses and provisions currently required by statute and Executive Order, but that OMB and the FAR Council will recommend statutory changes to Congress and suggest to the White House rescission of requirements stemming from Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the goals of Executive Order 14275 “to stop the inefficient use of American taxpayer dollars in federal procurement.” Any changes as a result of changes to Executive Orders or statutes will be reflected during the formal rulemaking process.

Strategic Acquisition Guidance

A key element of the RFO is moving non-statutory buying strategies out of the FAR and into OFPP-endorsed “buying guides.” These guides, together with the streamlined FAR, will be known as the Strategic Acquisition Guidance (SAG). According to GSA, the first buying guide will focus on Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) acquisitions, reflecting the Administration’s emphasis on modernizing technology procurement.

Key Takeaways on the RFO

Summary of Overhauled FAR Parts

FAR Part 1 (Federal Acquisition Regulations System)

FAR Part 10 (Market Research)

  1. A summary of FAR Part 10 changes
  2. FAR Part 10 Line-out documentation
  3. “Smart Accelerators” guidance on conducting market research
  4. Practitioner’s perspectives on the value of industry engagement
  5. Links for the federal acquisition workforce for continuous learning

FAR Part 18 (Emergency Services)

FAR Part 34 (Major System Acquisition)

FAR Part 39 (Acquisition of Information and Communication Technology)

FAR Part 43 (Contract Modifications)

To stay informed on all of the announcements from the Trump Administration, please visit our dedicated resource center below.

Wiley's Trump Administration Resource Center

Jump to top of page

Wiley Rein LLP Cookie Preference Center

Your Privacy

When you visit our website, we use cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. For more information about how we use Cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Always Active

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies may only be disabled by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Functional Cookies

Always Active

Some functions of the site require remembering user choices, for example your cookie preference, or keyword search highlighting. These do not store any personal information.

Form Submissions

Always Active

When submitting your data, for example on a contact form or event registration, a cookie might be used to monitor the state of your submission across pages.

Performance Cookies

Performance cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.

Powered by Firmseek