DFARS 227.7103-14 Conformity, acceptance, and warranty of technical data

(a) Statutory requirements. 10 U.S.C. 3772 -

(1) Provides for the establishment of remedies applicable to technical data found to be incomplete, inadequate, or not to satisfy the requirements of the contract concerning such data; and

(2) Authorizes agency heads to withhold payments (or exercise such other remedies an agency head considers appropriate) during any period if the contractor does not meet the requirements of the contract pertaining to the delivery of technical data.

(b) Conformity and acceptance. (1) Solicitations and contracts requiring the delivery of technical data shall specify the requirements the data must satisfy to be acceptable. Contracting officers, or their authorized representatives, are responsible for determining whether technical data tendered for acceptance conform to the contractual requirements.

(2) The clause at 252.227-7030, Technical Data - Withholding of Payment, provides for withholding up to 10 percent of the contract price pending correction or replacement of the nonconforming technical data or negotiation of an equitable reduction in contract price. The amount subject to withholding may be expressed as a fixed dollar amount or as a percentage of the contract price. In either case, the amount shall be determined giving consideration to the relative value and importance of the data. For example -

(i) When the sole purpose of a contract is to produce the data, the relative value of that data may be considerably higher than the value of data produced under a contract where the production of the data is a secondary objective; or

(ii) When the Government will maintain or repair items, repair and maintenance data may have a considerably higher relative value than data that merely describe the item or provide performance characteristics.

(3) Do not accept technical data that do not conform to the contractual requirements in all respects. Except for nonconforming restrictive markings (see paragraph (b)(4) of this subsection), correction or replacement of nonconforming data or an equitable reduction in contract price when correction or replacement of the nonconforming data is not practicable or is not in the Government's interests, shall be accomplished in accordance with -

(i) The provisions of a contract clause providing for inspection and acceptance of deliverables and remedies for nonconforming deliverables; or

(ii) The procedures at FAR 46.407(c) through (g), if the contract does not contain an inspection clause providing remedies for nonconforming deliverables.

(4) Follow the procedures at 227.7103-12(a)(2) if nonconforming markings are the sole reason technical data fail to conform to contractual requirements. The clause at 252.227-7030 may be used to withhold an amount for payment, consistent with the terms of the clause, pending correction of the nonconforming markings.

(c) Warranty. (1) The intended use of the technical data and the cost, if any, to obtain the warranty should be considered before deciding to obtain a data warranty (see FAR 46.703). The fact that a particular item, component, or process is or is not warranted is not a consideration in determining whether or not to obtain a warranty for the technical data that pertain to the item, component, or process. For example, a data warranty should be considered if the Government intends to repair or maintain an item and defective repair or maintenance data would impair the Government's effective use of the item or result in increased costs to the Government.

(2) As prescribed in 246.710, use the clause at 252.246-7001, Warranty of Data, and its alternates, or a substantially similar clause when the Government needs a specific warranty of technical data.