Overview

After awarding a contract, the Government sometimes will change the work contemplated in the contract. The Government typically does this through the contract’s changes clause. If the Government’s changes increase a contractor’s costs or alter the delivery schedule, the contractor can submit a request for an equitable adjustment to obtain its increased costs.

The Government may also decrease the work and look to decrease the value of the contract. Additionally, sometimes the Government asks a contractor to make a change but does not do so with a written change order, commonly called a constructive change. An equitable adjustment is a tool used by contractors to request a fair price adjustment, changes to a delivery schedule, or both under the changes clause of the contract. If this fails, a contractor could also submit a contract claim under the Contract Disputes Act. This briefing will provide an introductory explanation of what an equitable adjustment is, how to recognize contract changes, how to submit an equitable adjustment, and what to do if the contracting officer denies your equitable adjustment.

Recommended attendees for this briefing include senior vendor leadership, business development, proposal writers, contract managers, and contract officers.