FAR from Alone: GSA Releases New FAR Companion Guide

On September 9, 2025, GSA released version 1 of the FAR Companion, a living resource guide aimed primarily at assisting federal acquisition professionals. The FAR Companion is designed to provide guidance and recommendations to acquisition professionals to better understand the FAR and related procurement principles for planning, awarding, managing, and closing out contracts. It consolidates practitioner insights, innovation and vendor engagement strategies, handbooks, training materials, and problem-solving ideas into one source.

The FAR Companion is organized with a parallel structure to match each FAR section. It is meant to work in concert with the FAR, agency supplements and the Category Management Buying Guide, which is focused on sector-specific buying tips for navigating government-wide contracts. Additional materials are included in the FAR Practitioner Albums, which expand on the FAR and the Guide and provide learning tools and use cases for improving contract outcomes.