The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) is used to prioritize national defense-related contracts/orders throughout the U.S. supply chain in order to support military, energy, homeland security, emergency preparedness, and critical infrastructure requirements. The DPAS can also be used to provide military or critical infrastructure assistance to foreign nations.
Under Title I of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, the President is authorized to require preferential acceptance and performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) supporting certain approved national defense and energy programs, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities in such a manner as to promote these approved programs. The Department of Commerce is delegated authority, through Executive Order 13603, to implement these priorities and allocations provisions for industrial resources. The Bureau of Industry and Security administers this authority through the DPAS regulation (15 CFR Part 700).
Commerce has delegated authority to the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security, and to the General Services Administration, to place, in accordance with the DPAS regulation and the requirements of the Defense Production Act and Executive Order 13603, priority ratings on contracts or orders necessary, or appropriate, to promote the national defense.
Commerce may also authorize other government agencies, foreign governments, owners and operators of critical infrastructure, or companies to place priority ratings on contracts or orders on a case-by-case basis. Such requests must first be determined as necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense by the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, or Energy.
This Website includes a wide range of DPAS resources, including copies of the DPAS regulation and the form to request Special Priorities Assistance, online DPAS training courses, and links to DPAS information and guidance released by the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Energy.
The following DPAS training course is designed to assist any company that receives priority rated contracts, subcontracts, or purchase orders from the U.S. Government or from U.S. Government contractors. The goal of this course is to provide the basic understanding of the DPAS as well as provide a guide for applying the DPAS to contracts and purchase orders.
We hope you will find the content relevant, easy to use, and beneficial as we carry out our mission of supporting military, energy, homeland security, emergency preparedness, and critical infrastructure requirements through the DPAS.
To obtain additional information on the DPAS or to suggest enhancements to this Website, please call Commerce’s DPAS team at (202) 482-3634 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
NEW Proposed Rule - Clarifications and Updates to Defense Priorities and Allocations System Regulation
Publication Date: 02/07/2024
89 FR 8363
This proposed rule would amend the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) regulation by providing administrative changes to well-established standards and procedures. This proposed rule would: clarify existing standards and procedures by which BIS may provide Special Priorities Assistance (SPA); revise Schedule I to provide transparency and differentiation between other departments’ priorities jurisdiction and the Department of Commerce’s jurisdiction; and provide technical edits to reflect certain nonsubstantive updates since the DPAS regulation was last amended in 2014, including providing updated contact information, legal citations, and definitions.