FAR 52.203-18 — Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation

Solicitation provision · dated Jan 2017 · prescribed in FAR 3.909-3(a) · current through FAC 2026-01

In plain English

FAR 52.203-18, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation, is a solicitation provision prescribed at FAR 3.909-3(a), most recently dated Jan 2017. The complete official text is reproduced below, verbatim, from GSA's published FAR source files.

Its text contains no sentence requiring insertion into subcontracts; see the flowdown section below for what that does and does not mean.

Does it flow down to subcontracts?

No flowdown mandate found in the clause text

This is a solicitation provision — it applies to offerors when submitting an offer, not to contract performance, so subcontract flowdown is generally not the operative question for it.

Where it's prescribed

As prescribed in 3.909-3(a), insert the following provision:

Prescribing reference: FAR 3.909-3(a).

The official text, verbatim

FAR 52.203-18 · Jan 2017 current through FAC 2026-01 acquisition.gov eCFR (48 CFR)

As prescribed in 3.909-3(a), insert the following provision:

Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation (Jan 2017)

  • (a) Definition. As used in this provision-

    Internal confidentiality agreement or statement, subcontract, and subcontractor , are defined in the clause at 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements.

  • (b) In accordance with section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions), Government agencies are not permitted to use funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) for contracts with an entity that requires employees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report waste, fraud, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.

  • (c) The prohibition in paragraph (b) of this provision does not contravene requirements applicable to Standard Form 312, (Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement), Form 4414 (Sensitive Compartmented Information Nondisclosure Agreement), or any other form issued by a Federal department or agency governing the nondisclosure of classified information.

  • (d) Representation. By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it will not require its employees or subcontractors to sign or comply with internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse related to the performance of a Government contract to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information (e.g., agency Office of the Inspector General).

(End of provision)

The text above is reproduced from GSA's published FAR source files (GSA/GSA-Acquisition-FAR @ da52ccb (2026-03-30)), retrieved 2026-07-17. The official publication at acquisition.gov / eCFR controls if they differ.