Fast Payment — A Flexible Tool When Conditions Are Right by JENNIFER JONES
Tenth in a series of introductory articles on contracting. When attending contracting certifcation courses, students often are asked to perform exercises that relate to contracting issues they may not understand. They can do the exercises following the processes we teach them, but the best students want to know what it all means. Their inquiries inspired me to write this series of articles.
Simplifed Acquisition Procedures (SAP) are often overlooked in the world of Department of War (DoW) acquisition. Tey are low visibility and not “sexy” like weapons systems. But they account for most of the purchases we make, and a substantial amount of the money we spend.
Enter Simplifed Acquisition SAP means the procedures cov - ered in parts 12 and 13 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) are de - signed to reduce administrative costs, improve opportunities for all types of small businesses, promote efficiency and economy in contracting, and avoid unnecessary burdens for both
Also, new contracting profession - als often start out using these pro - cedures. So, I feel it is warranted to spend some time discussing them. An often misunderstood or over - looked aspect of SAP leveraged by the government contracting workforce endeavors to balance government risk with a contractor’s need for cash flow—namely, use of Fast Pay -
As discussed in previous articles in this series, cash flow is a major motivator for industry (see “Prompt Payment Act” article, July-August 2025 issue of Defense Acquisition maga - zine). It can increase the size of the industrial base, enhance competition, and otherwise encourage participa - tion in our mission success. And if we can reassure vendors about timely payment, their prices may be lower.
government and industry.
ment procedures.
42 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2026
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