Policy
Every federal contract and solicitation must have a unique PIID that remains unchanged for at least 20 years, except under specific, documented circumstances.
Overview
FAR 4.1601 establishes the policy for the use of Procurement Instrument Identifiers (PIIDs) in federal contracting. Agencies must ensure that each PIID is unique across the government and remains so for at least 20 years from the contract award date. The PIID is required for all solicitation and contract actions, and must be used consistently in designated support and reporting systems, such as the Federal Procurement Data System and the System for Award Management. The regulation also outlines the transition from the 2013 PIID format to the 2017 format, requiring agencies to comply with the new requirements for all new solicitations and awards after October 1, 2017. Changes to an assigned PIID are only permitted under specific circumstances, such as exhaustion of the serial numbering system or administrative burden, and must be documented through a contract modification that references both the original and new PIID.