One line on a government order goes on backorder, and the rest of the order is sitting on a shelf ready to ship. Do you hold everything, or send what you have? The answer is not in a rule of thumb. It is in the order.
This article is for the buyer who has to receive a split order and for the supplier who has to decide what to do. It covers where to look for the answer, how a good supplier flags each line, how to label a partial shipment, and what to do about the invoice.
Who decides whether partials are allowed
The order does, and the contracting officer interprets it. There is no general federal rule that says partial shipments are always allowed or never allowed.
The delivery clauses most often used for supply orders are the time of delivery clauses. FAR 52.211-8, Time of Delivery, and FAR 52.211-9, Desired and Required Time of Delivery, set out a schedule by item number and quantity, measured in days after the date of the contract. Neither clause says in so many words that partial deliveries are permitted or prohibited. They tell the supplier what quantity is due by when. FAR 11.404 explains when a contracting officer may use them.
Orders for commercial products often carry FAR 52.212-4 as well. It has no paragraph on partial deliveries. It covers inspection and acceptance, changes, invoices, risk of loss and title, but it does not settle whether a supplier may ship an order in pieces.
So where does that leave you? With the order's own words. Read these in order:
- The delivery schedule. A schedule that lists each line with its own quantity and date reads as a staged delivery. A single required date for the whole order reads as everything together.
- Any delivery-term language in the order or its attachments, such as "complete delivery required," "ship complete," or "partial shipments authorized."
- The contracting officer. If the order is silent or unclear, ask in writing and keep the answer with the order file.
If no clause addresses partials directly, the order's terms and the contracting officer decide. Do not assume permission because a retail customer would be fine with it.
Four terms that get mixed up
Receiving staff and suppliers use these words loosely, and the confusion causes real delays.
- Partial shipment: part of a line's quantity ships now, the remainder later.
- Split shipment: the full order ships, but in more than one box, pallet or carrier. It may all arrive the same day or not.
- Backorder: the supplier does not yet have the item or quantity, so nothing has shipped on that line.
- Line-level partial: whole lines ship now and other whole lines ship later.
A split shipment is usually a packing matter. A partial shipment or a backorder is a delivery matter, and it should be raised with the contracting officer.
How a supplier should flag it, line by line
We confirm every line of an order in writing at acknowledgment, and we confirm availability of the exact item before anything ships. If a line is short or late, the flag goes out the day we know, not the day the delivery is due. A useful flag has five parts:
- The order number and the line number as the order states it.
- The quantity ordered, the quantity that can ship now, and the quantity still to come.
- The reason, stated factually (manufacturer lead time, stock allocation, carrier delay).
- A firm date for the remainder, or an honest "no confirmed date yet" with the next time we will check.
- A plain question: may we ship the available quantity now, or should we hold the order until it is complete?
Here is what that looks like in an order report. The numbers are illustrative only.
| Line | Ordered | Shipped | Remaining | Status | Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0001 | 10 | 10 | 0 | Delivered | One number per shipment |
| 0002 | 6 | 4 | 2 | Partial, 2 on backorder | One number per shipment |
| 0003 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Backordered, awaiting contracting officer decision | None yet |
We keep a running order report like this for every award. When a buyer calls, there is one place that shows what shipped, what did not, and when the rest is expected.
Do not ship a partial the order does not allow
If the order calls for complete delivery, or you are not sure, ask before you ship a partial. Under FAR 52.212-4(c), changes to the terms of the contract are made only by written agreement of the parties. Getting the contracting officer's permission in writing before a partial ships protects both sides. A partial delivery that nobody approved can leave the receiving office unsure whether to accept it, and the supplier unsure whether it has performed.
Late is a notice, not a surprise
If a delay is coming, tell the contracting officer in writing as soon as you know. The commercial clause on excusable delays, paragraph (f) of 52.212-4, requires written notice as soon as reasonably possible after an excusable delay begins. Whether a particular backorder counts as an excusable delay depends on the facts and is the contracting officer's call. A supplier cannot decide that for itself, and should not assume it.
Labeling a partial shipment
Receiving staff match what is on the dock to what is on the order. Make that easy. Every box or pallet of a partial shipment should carry:
- The government order number and the order line numbers it contains.
- The quantity in this shipment for each line.
- The word "PARTIAL" and a shipment count, such as "Shipment 1 of 2," on the packing slip and on the outside of the package.
- What remains open on the order, listed on the slip.
- The word "FINAL" on the last shipment, so nobody waits for a box that already came.
Each shipment gets its own tracking number, sent to the buyer the day it leaves. A single tracking number reused for "the order" is a sign the supplier is not tracking at the shipment level. For drop-shipped orders, the manufacturer's warehouse prints the slip, so these instructions have to reach the warehouse. We cover that in drop-shipping to a federal agency.
Invoicing partials
Invoice after delivery, not before. Beyond that, whether a partial can be invoiced on its own depends on the order's payment terms, so check them.
Paragraph (g) of FAR 52.212-4 lists what a proper invoice includes: the contract number, the line item number and order number, a description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and extended price of the items delivered, and the shipping number and date. The invoice describes what was delivered. It never bills for the backordered remainder.
Our practice:
- If the order allows partial payment, we invoice each delivered quantity once it is delivered, through the system the contract names, and the invoice matches the receiving record for that shipment.
- If the order does not allow it, or does not say, we ask the contracting officer. Without a clear yes, we hold the invoice until the order is complete.
- We never invoice a backordered quantity.
Buyers: if a partial arrives and your order is silent on partial payment, ask your contracting officer or finance office before you process anything. A paid invoice for goods still on backorder is a hard problem to unwind.
Can the government award only some lines?
A separate question is whether the government may award some lines of a quote and not others. In the commercial solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(h), Multiple awards, the government may accept any item or group of items of an offer unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. It also reserves the right to award a quantity smaller than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise. The solicitation can change that, so read its award language.
We check at the line level whether partial award is allowed before we quote. Buyers can help by stating in the solicitation whether they intend a single award or line-level award.
How Lunula Supply handles it
We confirm each order line in writing, check availability of the exact item before it ships, and raise any short or late line the day we learn of it. We ask the contracting officer whether a partial may ship, label each shipment as partial with its own tracking, and invoice only what has been delivered, only where the order allows it. One contact stays with the order until the last box is received.
If you want a supplier that works this way, send us your requirement or see what we supply. For the full post-award checklist, read what to expect from a government supplier. If an item is discontinued rather than late, see substitutions and discontinued items.
Frequently asked questions
Can a supplier ship a government order in parts?
Only if the order allows it or the contracting officer agrees. The time of delivery clauses set quantities and dates by line, but they do not say outright that partials are permitted. The order's terms and the contracting officer decide, so a supplier should ask first and keep the answer in writing.
What should a partial shipment's packing slip say?
It should show the government order number, the line numbers in the box, the quantity shipped for each line, and the word "PARTIAL" with a shipment count such as "Shipment 1 of 2." It should also list what remains open. The last shipment should say "FINAL."
Can a supplier invoice for a partial shipment?
Only for what was delivered, and only if the order's payment terms allow invoicing in parts. A proper invoice describes items delivered, so a backordered quantity is never billed. If the order is silent, the supplier should ask the contracting officer before invoicing.
What if one line is backordered for weeks?
The supplier should tell the contracting officer in writing right away, with the reason and the best available date, and ask whether to ship the rest. If the item is not coming at all, the next step is a discussion of a substitute or a change to the order, which only the contracting officer can approve.
General information, not legal advice. Clause references were checked against acquisition.gov (FAC 2026-01) on the publish date. Your order's own terms and your contracting officer control.