Summary based on the codified FAR text published by acquisition.gov, checked October 2026. Your solicitation may use an agency deviation or a different version; its text controls.
Allows the Government to extend the contract through the specified written option notice. A preliminary notice of intent does not guarantee an extension.
Applicability: Check whether FAR 52.217-9 is incorporated, its completed notice periods and maximum duration. FAR 17.208(g) provides the prescription; the actual contract text and any deviation control.
FAR 52.217-9 option notice checklist
Illustrative contract: the preliminary-notice blank says 60 days before expiration; a separate blank defines the exercise window. An intention letter alone is not the option exercise. Use the dates and wording completed in that contract rather than treating 60 days as a universal exercise deadline.
- Record the expiration date, preliminary-notice period and separate exercise window.
- Identify which written notice expresses intent and which exercises the option.
- Check total duration and any incorporated amendments or deviations.
Illustrative guidance, not a determination of your contract rights. Verify the incorporated text and obtain advice for a specific dispute.
Build a response outline when a new solicitation is issued →Key Requirements
Read the filled-in deadline for the written notice that exercises the option
Check the preliminary-notice period: the standard text uses 60 days before expiration unless a different period is inserted
Distinguish a preliminary intention notice from the notice that actually exercises the option
Read the completed maximum duration, including options, and the option terms incorporated into your contract
Common Issues & Pitfalls
Treating a preliminary notice as an exercise of the option
Assuming every contract uses the default 60-day preliminary period
Ignoring the separate exercise deadline or total-duration limit
Confusing this term-extension clause with FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services
Contractor Guidance for Your Bid
Build an option calendar from the completed contract blanks, not a generic assumption. Track preliminary and exercise notices separately, and confirm staffing and pricing against the actual option provisions. An intention to extend is not committed revenue; seek clarification from the Contracting Officer if the notices or dates are unclear.
Related FAR Clauses
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