Options for Increased Quantity (FAR 17.2)
Also known as: Quantity option, additional quantity option, 217-6/-7 option
What you do here: Deliver the optional quantity at the priced option rate when the CO exercises it
At a Glance
- Who exercises it
- The contracting officer, by unilateral modification
- What it does
- Buys additional quantity of supplies/services at the priced option rate
- Governing authority
- FAR Subpart 17.2; clauses 52.217-6 and 52.217-7
- Priced at award
- Yes — the option quantity's price is set in the original offer
- Common use
- Scaling up a proven requirement without a new procurement
What It Is
Quantity options let the government buy more than the base quantity of supplies or services at prices fixed when the contract was awarded. Two FAR clauses implement them: FAR 52.217-6 (Option for Increased Quantity), where the option quantity and its price are stated in the schedule, and FAR 52.217-7 (Option for Increased Quantity—Separately Priced Line Item), where the additional quantity is a separately priced line item. Like term options, quantity options are exercised by unilateral modification at the already-agreed option prices, so the government can scale up a requirement it likes without running a new procurement. The rationale from the government's side is efficiency and continuity; from the contractor's side it's upside — bonus volume at a known price. The catch is the same as with any priced option: because the price was locked at award, the option only stays profitable if your costs haven't outrun it. Quantity options also interact with the small-business rules on long-term contracts, because added volume can change the total contract value and, on multi-year vehicles, feed the recertification analysis.
When You See It
- When the government wants to buy more of a supply or service it's already receiving under the contract.
- When a requirement proves successful and the agency scales it up without a new competition.
- When budget or demand for additional units materializes during performance.
- As priced options built into the original solicitation for anticipated additional quantities.
Key Features
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Additional quantity at set price | The option buys more units at the price established at award — the government gets predictable scale-up pricing. |
| Two clause forms | 52.217-6 states the option quantity/price in the schedule; 52.217-7 handles increased quantity as a separately priced line item. |
| Exercised unilaterally | Because the price is pre-agreed, the contracting officer exercises the option by unilateral modification. |
| Bonus volume, fixed margin | Quantity options are upside for the contractor — but at a price locked at award, so margin depends on your cost trajectory. |
| Feeds total value analysis | Added quantity increases total contract value, which can matter for small-business goals and recertification on long-term vehicles. |
The SDVOSB Angle
Quantity options are pure upside for a small SDVOSB when you price them well — extra revenue at a known rate with no new bid-and-proposal cost. But because the price is fixed at award, treat option-quantity pricing at bid time as seriously as the base: if you low-ball the options to win, you'll deliver the extra volume at a loss. When a quantity option is exercised, re-check your limitations-on-subcontracting math over the larger quantity, and on a long-term or multiple-award vehicle, note that the added value feeds into the size and recertification picture. Strong delivery on the base quantity is what makes the government reach for the option.
How to Handle It
- Price option quantities realistically at bid time — they're locked and can't be re-priced at exercise.
- When an option is exercised, confirm the modification cites 52.217-6 or 52.217-7 and updates quantity, funding, and delivery.
- Re-run limitations on subcontracting over the increased quantity if scope of self-performance shifts.
- Track how added quantity affects total contract value on long-term/multiple-award vehicles.
- Deliver the base quantity strongly — it's what prompts the government to exercise the option.
Watch Out For
- Under-pricing option quantities to win, then delivering the extra volume at a loss.
- Assuming a quantity option can be re-negotiated at exercise — it can't; the price was set at award.
- Overlooking the limitations-on-subcontracting impact of a larger delivered quantity.
- Ignoring how added value rolls into size/recertification analysis on long-term vehicles.
Run the Numbers
Frequently Asked
What are options for increased quantity?
Options for increased quantity are priced options that let the government buy more supplies or services than the base quantity, at rates set at award. FAR 52.217-6 states the option quantity and price in the schedule; FAR 52.217-7 handles the increase as a separately priced line item. The contracting officer exercises the option by unilateral modification at the pre-agreed price, so the government can scale up a requirement without a new procurement.
Can I re-negotiate the price when a quantity option is exercised?
No. Like other priced options, the price for the additional quantity is fixed at award as part of your original offer, and the government exercises the option by unilateral modification at that price. That's why you should price option quantities carefully when you bid — if you under-price them to win, you'll be obligated to deliver the extra quantity at the locked rate regardless of how your costs have changed.
Primary Sources
- FAR Subpart 17.2 — Options
- FAR 52.217-6 — Option for Increased Quantity
- FAR 52.217-7 — Option for Increased Quantity—Separately Priced Line Item
Plain-English reference, not legal advice. Contract modification, options, novation, and termination rules are fact-specific, and the FAR and agency supplements are amended from time to time — always read the current FAR text, follow the notice and certification timeframes in your specific contract clauses, confirm the requirements with the contracting officer, and consult qualified counsel before relying on a modification, settlement, claim, or termination position.
Change log (1)
- LaunchedPublished the federal contract modifications, options & change management reference covering how a federal contract changes after award — the bilateral supplemental agreement and the unilateral modification (FAR 43.103), the change order under the Changes clause (FAR 52.243-1), the administrative change (FAR 43.101), the equitable adjustment and the Request for Equitable Adjustment (FAR 43.204 / 43.205), the constructive change doctrine, the options to extend the term and quantity (FAR 52.217-8, 52.217-9, and the Subpart 17.2 quantity options 52.217-6/-7), the novation and change-of-name agreements (FAR Subpart 42.12), and the terminations for convenience and default (FAR Part 49 / 52.249-2 / 52.249-8) — each with an at-a-glance quick-facts card, a when-you-see-it list, a key-features table, an SDVOSB-specific angle, a how-to-handle-it checklist, watch-outs, FAQPage, Article, Dataset, and BreadcrumbList structured data, primary-source FAR citations, and cross-links into the glossary, regulation explainers, clauses, forms, contract types, protest & dispute forums, compliance deadlines, how-to guides, FAQ, and the limitations-on-subcontracting, price-to-win, size-standard, and set-aside eligibility calculators.