Prime Contractor
Also known as: Prime
A prime contractor is the entity that holds the direct contract with the federal government. The prime is responsible for flowing down applicable CMMC requirements to its subcontractors and for assessing whether each subcontractor's required CMMC level matches the type of information being shared.
Related terms
- Subcontractor Flow-Down
Subcontractor flow-down is the contractual mechanism by which a prime contractor passes federal cybersecurity requirements (FAR 52.204-21, DFARS 252.204-7012/7019/7020/7021) to its subcontractors. CMMC requirements flow down to any subcontractor that will process, store, or transmit FCI or CUI in performance of the contract.
- Contracting Officer
A Contracting Officer (CO or KO) is the federal government employee with delegated authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts and make related determinations. For CMMC purposes, the contracting officer determines the required CMMC level for the contract and is the government's point of accountability for compliance enforcement.