| name | rea-request |
| description | Drafts a Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA) for U.S. federal government contracts under FAR provisions. Enforces element-driven cost/schedule narratives, FAR Part 31 cost structures, FAR 52.233-1 certification, and contemporaneous evidence marshaling. Use when a contractor seeks contract modification relief due to government-directed changes, differing site conditions, defective specifications, or government-caused delays. |
| tags | ["drafting","letter","regulatory"] |
Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA)
Drafts a litigation-ready REA asserting entitlement, quantifying cost and schedule impacts, and satisfying FAR certification requirements for submission to a federal contracting officer.
Prerequisites
- Contract documents — base contract, modifications, PIID, applicable FAR clauses (esp. FAR 52.243-1 or FAR 52.243-4)
- Change trigger documentation — government directive, modification order, or differing-conditions notice with precise dates
- Cost records — timesheets, invoices, purchase orders, subcontract documents, cost ledgers
- Schedule records — baseline CPM schedule, updates, delay logs, milestone tracking
- Project correspondence — CO letters, emails, meeting minutes, daily logs contemporaneous with the change
- Contractor identity — legal entity name, CAGE code, authorized signatory with delegation of authority
Output Structure
1. Header Block
| Field | Content |
|---|
| Contract No. / PIID | [Number] |
| Agency / Contracting Office | [Name] |
| Contracting Officer | [Name, address, contact] |
| Contractor | [Legal name, CAGE code] |
| REA Reference No. | [Internal tracking number] |
| Date | [Submission date] |
| Subject | Request for Equitable Adjustment — [Contract No.] |
2. Introduction & Legal Basis
- Cite entitlement clause (e.g., FAR 52.243-1 Changes—Fixed-Price; FAR 52.243-4 Changes; differing site conditions clause)
- State nature of change/event in one paragraph
- Assert contractor's position: change exceeds original scope or constitutes a compensable change
3. Factual Narrative (Chronological)
- Present events with dates referencing affected CLINs, SOW sections, or spec provisions
- Quote government directives verbatim where available
- Side-by-side: original requirement vs. changed/additional work
- For differing conditions: baseline assumptions (contract) vs. actual conditions encountered
- Cite exhibit numbers for each referenced document
4. Impact Analysis
Cost Impacts (FAR Part 31)
| Cost Element | Basis | Amount |
|---|
| Direct Labor (category/hours) | Timesheets / rates | $ |
| Materials | Invoices / quotes | $ |
| Equipment | Rental records / rates | $ |
| Subcontractor Costs | Subcontract docs | $ |
| Overhead (rate × base) | Rate agreement / incurred | $ |
| G&A (rate × base) | Rate agreement / incurred | $ |
| Profit / Fee | Contract structure / FAR guidelines | $ |
| Total Requested Adjustment | | $ |
Schedule Impacts
- Demonstrate critical path effect using CPM or comparable methodology
- Quantify delay days per milestone and overall completion date
- Address acceleration costs if contractor maintained original schedule despite change
Performance Impacts
- Describe changes to technical specs, quality standards, or deliverables
5. Supporting Evidence Index
- Tab A — Contractual documents (contract, mods, specs, SOW)
- Tab B — Government communications (directives, emails, CO letters, meeting minutes)
- Tab C — Project records (daily logs, progress reports, inspection records)
- Tab D — Financial documentation (invoices, timesheets, POs, cost ledgers)
- Tab E — Expert analysis (engineering reports, schedule analysis, cost studies)
- Tab F — Legal authorities (ASBCA/CBCA decisions, COFC precedents, FAR citations) [VERIFY each citation before filing]
6. Requested Adjustment Summary
| Component | Requested |
|---|
| Total Cost Adjustment | $ |
| Time Extension (calendar days) | [N] days |
| Revised Completion Date | [Date] |
| Affected Milestones | [List] |
7. Certification (FAR 52.233-1)
For claims exceeding $100,000, include verbatim FAR 52.233-1(b) certification language [VERIFY current text]:
"I certify that the claim is made in good faith; that the supporting data are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief; that the amount requested accurately reflects the contract adjustment for which the contractor believes the government is liable; and that I am duly authorized to certify the claim on behalf of the contractor."
Signature block: Authorized representative name, title, date, contact — confirm signatory has documented delegation of authority.
Guidelines
- Notice — Confirm timely notice under applicable changes clause; address late-notice arguments preemptively
- Causation — Every cost/schedule element must trace to a specific government act or condition; no unsubstantiated lump sums
- Scope limitation — Changes must be within general contract scope (cardinal change doctrine bars out-of-scope recovery)
- Cost principles — All costs must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable under FAR Part 31; flag potentially unallowable costs
- Certification threshold — Claims >$100,000 require FAR 52.233-1 certification; false certification triggers False Claims Act exposure
- Preserve entitlement — State full position even when negotiating; frame concessions as facilitation, not waiver
- Contemporaneous docs — Boards and courts heavily favor records created at the time of change over after-the-fact reconstruction
- [VERIFY] all board/court citations (ASBCA, CBCA, COFC) before submission; confirm they remain good law
