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Module 9: Perform After Award. Written explanation, fictional example, and sources.
Educational content. Follow the applicable solicitation and contract. Official sources are provided below.
10 min · Progress tracking is not available yet
After this lesson you should be able to ship the awarded quantity to the place named in the contract, tell inspection from acceptance, and keep delivery evidence with your company records. AsherGate does not create receiving reports and does not record Government acceptance.
FAR 46.101 defines acceptance as the act of an authorized Government representative by which the Government assumes ownership of identified supplies tendered or approves specific services as partial or complete performance. Conditional acceptance is acceptance of supplies or services that do not conform or are incomplete, with a requirement to correct or complete by a specified date. Government contract quality assurance, including inspection, is how the Government determines whether you fulfilled quality and quantity obligations.
FAR 46.501 says acceptance acknowledges that supplies or services conform with applicable quality and quantity requirements, except as the contract otherwise provides. Acceptance may occur before delivery, at delivery, or after delivery, depending on the contract. Supplies or services shall ordinarily not be accepted before Government quality-assurance actions are complete. Acceptance is ordinarily evidenced by an acceptance certificate on an inspection or receiving report form or a commercial shipping document or packing list. FAR 46.502 makes acceptance the contracting officer’s responsibility, which may be assigned to a contract administration office or another agency.
FAR 46.401 requires each contract to designate where the Government reserves the right to perform quality assurance. If the contract provides for delivery and acceptance at destination, and the Government inspects elsewhere, destination examination is ordinarily for quantity, damage in transit, and possible substitution or fraud. Government inspection shall be documented on an inspection or receiving report or commercial shipping document. If FAR 52.212-4 is in the commercial contract, paragraph (a) requires you to tender only conforming items, and the Government may inspect or test supplies tendered for acceptance. A packing list you upload to AsherGate is your copy. It is not Government acceptance.
Using the Brineholt story below, the award is 60 life rings, destination inspection. The first truck delivers 58. The COR signs a receiving report for 58 and notes two short.
Keep the packing list and the receiving-report copy in Company Documents. Do not invoice 60. Do not treat the COR’s receipt as a change to the contract quantity. Ship the remaining two under the existing award unless the contracting officer issues a written modification.
Fictional example
Brineholt Life Rings Co is a fictional marine-safety shop in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It holds fictional award AG-AWD-26-0521-C from a fictional Cape Ann Harbor Desk for 60 Type IV throwable life rings, inspection and acceptance at destination.
The first shipment delivers 58 rings. Contracting Officer’s Representative Dana Ellsworth signs a receiving report for 58 and writes that two are short. A teammate almost invoices for 60 from the award quantity and stores only the carrier tracking number.
They upload the packing list, the receiving-report copy, and two photos of the pallet into Company Documents. They plan a second delivery of the remaining two rings under the same award. They do not treat the COR signature as a quantity change. AsherGate does not create the receiving report or record acceptance.
Each official source is listed with the teaching claim it supports. Product behavior is labeled separately. Review dates are when AsherGate last checked the page.
Acquisition.gov · Official source · Reviewed 2026-09-27
Supports: Acceptance is the act of an authorized Government representative assuming ownership of identified supplies or approving services as performance. Inspection is part of Government contract quality assurance.
Acquisition.gov · Official source · Reviewed 2026-09-27
Supports: Acceptance acknowledges conformity with contract quality and quantity requirements, may occur before, at, or after delivery depending on the contract, and is ordinarily evidenced on an inspection or receiving report or commercial shipping document.
Acquisition.gov · Official source · Reviewed 2026-09-27
Supports: Acceptance of supplies or services is the contracting officer’s responsibility unless assigned to a contract administration office or another agency.
Acquisition.gov · Official source · Reviewed 2026-09-27
Supports: Each contract designates where the Government may perform quality assurance. Destination-acceptance contracts that were inspected elsewhere are ordinarily examined at destination for quantity, damage in transit, and possible substitution or fraud.
Acquisition.gov · Official source · Reviewed 2026-09-27
Supports: When this clause is in a commercial contract, paragraph (a) requires the contractor to tender only conforming items and allows the Government to inspect or test supplies or services tendered for acceptance.
AsherGate · AsherGate product · Reviewed 2026-09-27
Supports: You can store packing lists, photos, and copies of receiving reports. The vault does not record Government inspection or acceptance.