A Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) is the government official who has the legal authority to bind the government to a contract. They manage the procurement process from start to finish and serve as the primary point of contact with contractors.
The Contracting Officer (sometimes called a KO—"King" or "Queen"—in informal government parlance) is the government official with the legal authority to commit the government to a contract and obligate federal funds. This is a significant responsibility: COs must follow FAR and agency-specific regulations, manage competitive procurements, and ensure contracts are properly executed.
The CO's responsibilities include: identifying the government's needs, developing procurement strategies, issuing solicitations, evaluating proposals, making award decisions, negotiating contract terms, and monitoring contractor performance. The CO is essentially the government's representative in the entire contracting relationship. In large procurements, the CO works with a team that might include technical evaluators, cost analysts, and compliance specialists.
Why it matters: Building a relationship with the right CO can be valuable for your business. COs often have "favorite" contractors they trust, and if a CO has good experience with you on one contract, they're likely to consider you favorably on future work. However, COs are bound by regulations and cannot favor anyone; they must conduct fair and open competitions. The key is delivering such excellent performance that COs naturally think of you when relevant opportunities arise.
In practice, you'll want to know who the CO is early in your business development. Contact information is usually in the procurement notice. The CO is your primary point of contact for questions about a solicitation and the contracting relationship. A related role is the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), who manages the contract day-to-day during execution but doesn't have the authority to make legal commitments.
One strategic tip: never try to circumvent the CO. All official communications should go through the CO. Building a professional, transparent relationship with your CO builds trust and credibility that will serve you across multiple contracts.