(a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.246-9000, Certificate of Quality Compliance, in all solicitations and awards for safety-critical items; except when acquiring items identified as "critical safety items (CSIs)" (see 11.302-91). Solicitations and awards for CSIs must include the clauses prescribed at 11.304-90(a)-(c); the clause at 52.246-9000 must be considered for use when acquiring CSIs if award is made to a source other than an approved source cited in the acquisition identification description (AID). The contracting officer shall also include the clause in other solicitations and contracts for supplies which meet both of the following conditions:
(1) The material being solicited is required to be produced in accordance with a product specification, drawing, or standard which is designated in the procurement item description (PID).
(2) The Engineering Support Activity, Specification Preparing Activity, and/or Center quality/technical activity have recommended to the contracting officer that objective quality evidence in the form of a specific COQC is needed to ensure that the material offered by the supplier meets all contract and specification requirements. (This recommendation may be accomplished in an automated manner, via the Contract Technical Data File (CTDF) field, "COQC"; or the Center Quality element may otherwise inform the contracting officer that a COQC is required for the particular item.)
(b) The clause may be used regardless of the location (source or destination) at which Government contract quality assurance actions are to be performed. In the case of destination-inspected material, the certificate (or a copy) must accompany the shipment. For source-inspected material, the original certificate must be available for inspection by the Government at the contractor's facility at the time the material is presented for acceptance. A copy may (but need not) accompany the shipment.
