Federal Contracting Acronym
SUBCONTRACTOR
Subcontractor
Plain-English definition
Subcontractors flow down required FAR/DFARS clauses, meet socioeconomic reporting obligations, and may hold key personnel roles on proposals. Prime contractors remain responsible for subcontractor performance and compliance.
Why it matters
Weak subcontractor vetting creates cyber, cost, and past-performance risk for the prime.
Where you will see it
Teaming agreements, subcontract flow-downs, and small-business subcontracting plans.
Example in context
When reviewing a solicitation, a contractor confirms how SUBCONTRACTOR is used in the notice, whether related clauses apply, and which internal subject-matter experts should validate the response.