Code of Federal Regulations Title 48. Federal Acquisition Regulations System 48.17.204 Contracts

(a) The contract shall specify limits on the purchase of additional supplies or services, or the overall duration of the term of the contract, including any extension.

(b) The contract shall state the period within which the option may be exercised.

(c) The period shall be set so as to provide the contractor adequate lead time to ensure continuous production.

(d) The period may extend beyond the contract completion date for service contracts. This is necessary for situations when exercise of the option would result in the obligation of funds that are not available in the fiscal year in which the contract would otherwise be completed.

(e) Unless otherwise approved in accordance with agency procedures, the total of the basic and option periods shall not exceed 5 years in the case of services, and the total of the basic and option quantities shall not exceed the requirement for 5 years in the case of supplies. These limitations do not apply to information technology contracts. However, statutes applicable to various classes of contracts, for example, the Service Contract Labor Standards statute (see 22.1002–1), may place additional restrictions on the length of contracts.

(f) Contracts may express options for increased quantities of supplies or services in terms of (1) percentage of specific line items, (2) increase in specific line items, or (3) additional numbered line items identified as the option.

(g) Contracts may express extensions of the term of the contract as an amended completion date or as additional time for performance;  e.g., days, weeks, or months.