48 C.F.R. § 16.402-1
16.402-1 Cost incentives.
(a) Most incentive contracts include only cost incentives, which take the form of a profit or fee adjustment formula and are intended to motivate the contractor to effectively manage costs. No incentive contract may provide for other incentives without also providing a cost incentive (or constraint).
(b) Except for award-fee contracts (see 16.404 and 16.401 (e)), incentive contracts include a target cost, a target profit or fee, and a profit or fee adjustment formula that (within the constraints of a price ceiling or minimum and maximum fee) provides that—
(1) Actual cost that meets the target will result in the target profit or fee;
(2) Actual cost that exceeds the target will result in downward adjustment of target profit or fee; and
(3) Actual cost that is below the target will result in upward adjustment of target profit or fee.