48 CFR § 16.402-1 - 16.402-1 Cost incentives.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t48/s16.402-1"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "48 CFR § 16.402-1 - 16.402-1   Cost incentives."
title_number: 48
title_name: "Federal Acquisition Regulations System"
section_number: "16.402-1"
section_name: "16.402-1   Cost incentives."
chapter_number: 1
chapter_name: "FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES"
part_number: "16"
part_name: "TYPES OF CONTRACTS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "41 U.S.C. 1121(b); 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 4 and 10 U.S.C. chapter 137 legacy provisions (see 10 U.S.C. 3016); and 51 U.S.C. 20113."
regulatory_source: "48 FR 42219, Sept. 19, 1983, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "16"
---


# 16.402-1 16.402-1   Cost incentives.

(a) Most incentive contracts include only cost incentives, which take the form of a profit or fee adjustment formula and are intended to motivate the contractor to effectively manage costs. No incentive contract may provide for other incentives without also providing a cost incentive (or constraint).

(b) Except for award-fee contracts (see 16.404 and 16.401 (e)), incentive contracts include a target cost, a target profit or fee, and a profit or fee adjustment formula that (within the constraints of a price ceiling or minimum and maximum fee) provides that—

(1) Actual cost that meets the target will result in the target profit or fee;

(2) Actual cost that exceeds the target will result in downward adjustment of target profit or fee; and

(3) Actual cost that is below the target will result in upward adjustment of target profit or fee.

[48 FR 42219, Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 62 FR 12696, Mar. 17, 1997; 62 FR 51379, Oct. 1, 1997; 74 FR 52859, Oct. 14, 2009]