Definition
As defined in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 52.204-21, federal contract information (FCI) is “information, not intended for public release, that is provided by or generated for the Government under a contract to develop or deliver a product or service to the Government, but not including information provided by the Government to the public (such as on public websites) or simple transactional information, such as necessary to process payments.”
Identifying FCI in an Award
An award may involve FCI if there are references to one or more of the following:
- "Federal contract information (FCI)"
- "Covered Contractor Information System"
- FAR clause 52.204-21 – Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems
- 48 CFR 52.204-21 – Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems
- CMMC Level 1
Basic Requirements for Safeguarding FCI
FAR clause 52.204-21 outlines the basic safeguarding requirements and procedures to protect non-federal systems involved in the receipt, handling and storage of FCI. These controls are intended to establish reasonable measures to protect this information from unauthorized disclosure.
References
FAR 52.204-21: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-21
NIST 800-171 (Rev 3): https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/171/r3/final
About CMMC (DOW): https://dodcio.defense.gov/CMMC/About/
Federal Contract Information (University of Colorado Boulder)
Federal Contract Information (FCI) Guidelines for PIs (Utah State University)