Just because your company does not contract directly with the
government does not necessarily mean you are not subject to the
many requirements associated with government contractors. Those who
provide goods and services to OEMs, or other customers who sell to
the government, may also be subject to those requirements.
Many government contractors incorporate by reference Federal
Acquisition Regulation ("FAR") clauses, FAR agency
supplemental clauses, or other federal government contracting laws
and regulations into agreements with subcontractors and materials
supplier. Then, those companies are obligated to comply with those
government-unique requirements. These FAR and FAR agency
supplemental clauses are often found in a customer's terms and
conditions incorporated by reference in the subcontract or purchase
order and available on the customer's website. Thus, many
companies do not even realize they are government
subcontractors.
