FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2

FAR 52.248-2 Value Engineering—Architect-Engineer.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This clause requires an architect-engineer contractor to perform value engineering (VE) services, submit progress reports, and provide value engineering proposals (VEPs) as specified in the contract schedule. The contractor must follow detailed submission and VEP preparation requirements, but will not share in any savings from accepted VEPs. The clause defines key terms and states that approved VEPs are implemented by bilateral contract modification.

Applies to: Architect-engineer contractors under contracts that include this clause

What it requires

  • Perform value engineering services and submit progress reports as specified in the Schedule.
  • Submit any resulting value engineering proposals (VEPs) to the Contracting Officer.
  • Perform value engineering activities concurrently with, and without delay to, the contract schedule.
  • Provide a fee breakdown schedule for VE services, submit team members and resumes for approval, and ensure the team leader edits, reproduces, and signs the final report and each VEP.

Key terms: Value engineering · Value engineering proposal (VEP) · Life cycle cost · Architect-engineer · Bilateral modification

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

As prescribed in 48.201(f), insert the following clause:

Value Engineering—Architect-Engineer (MAR 1990)

(a) General. The Contractor shall (1) perform value engineering (VE) services and submit progress reports as specified in the Schedule; and (2) submit to the Contracting Officer any resulting value engineering proposals (VEP's). Value engineering activities shall be performed concurrently with, and without delay to, the schedule set forth in the contract. The services shall include VE evaluation and review and study of design documents immediately following completion of the 35 percent design state or at such stages as the Contracting Officer may direct. Each separately priced line item for VE services shall define specifically the scope of work to be accomplished and may include VE studies of items other than design documents. The Contractor shall be paid as the contract specifies for this effort, but shall not share in savings which may result from acceptance and use of VEP's by the Government.

(b) Definitions.

Life cycle cost, as used in this clause, is the sum of all costs over the useful life of a building, system or product. It includes the cost of design, construction, acquisition, operation, maintenance, and salvage (resale) value, if any.

Value engineering, as used in this clause, means an organized effort to analyze the functions of systems, equipment, facilities, services, and supplies for the purpose of achieving the essential functions at the lowest life cycle cost consistent with required performance, reliability, quality, and safety.

Value engineering proposal, as used in this clause, means, in connection with an A-E contract, a change proposal developed by employees of the Federal Government or contractor value engineering personnel under contract to an agency to provide value engineering services for the contract or program.

(c) Submissions. After award of an architect-engineering contract the contractor shall—

(1) Provide the Government with a fee breakdown schedule for the VE services (such as criteria review, task team review, and bid package review) included in the contract schedule;

(2) Submit, for approval by the Contracting Officer, a list of team members and their respective resumes representing the engineering disciplines required to complete the study effort, and evidence of the team leader's qualifications and engineering discipline. Subsequent changes or substitutions to the approved VE team shall be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer for approval; and

(3) The team leader shall be responsible for prestudy work assembly and shall edit, reproduce, and sign the final report and each VEP. All VEP's, even if submitted earlier as an individual submission, shall be contained in the final report.

(d) VEP preparation. As a minimum, the contractor shall include the following information in each VEP:

(1) A description of the difference between the existing the proposed design, the comparative advantage and disadvantages of each, a justification when an item's function is being altered, the effect of the change on system or facility performance, and any pertinent objective test data.

(2) A list and analysis of design criteria or specifications that must be changed if the VEP is accepted.

(3) A separate detailed estimate of the impact on project cost of each VEP, if accepted and implemented by the Government.

(4) A description and estimate of costs the Government may incur in implementing the VEP, such as design change cost and test and evaluation cost.

(5) A prediction of any effects the proposed change may have on life cycle cost.

(6) The effect the VEP will have on design or construction schedules.

(e) VEP acceptance. Approved VEP's shall be implemented by bilateral modification to this contract.

(End of clause)

Sections it refers to

  • 48.201 Clauses for supply or service contracts.

Sections that refer to it

  • 2.101 Definitions.
  • 48.201 Clauses for supply or service contracts.

← 52.248-1 Value Engineering. · 52.248-3 Value Engineering—Construction. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 52

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 52.248-2 Value Engineering—Architect-Engineer · SpendQuery