(a)  General.

(1)  GMP.

(i) The GMP is the ceiling price described by FAR 16.403-2.

(ii)  The GMP is established at contract award. The GMP may be established as one option or as multiple options through separate line items, with a separate GMP amount for each line item.

(iii)  The GMP is subject to adjustment under various standard contract clauses, including the changes clause, differing site conditions clause, and suspensions clause.

(iv)  The contract file shall contain all documents to support any scope changes including a separate analysis to document the rationale for any upward or downward adjustment to the GMP.

(2)  ECW.

(i)  The proposed ECW incorporated at construction contract award is the target ECW.

(ii)  The final ECW should be established prior to completion of the design (i.e. 100 percent construction documents), generally no earlier than completion of 75 percent construction documents.

(iii)  The contracting officer shall negotiate the final ECW and incorporate it into the construction contract through a bilateral modification prior to exercising the GMP option.

(3)  CCA.

(i)  The CCA type of allowance may only be used as part of the CMc project delivery method and should not be confused with other types of allowances that may be used with other construction project delivery methods.

(ii)  The CCA provides for a contingency relative to a fixed percentage of the ECW, except for the requirements at paragraph (c)(3) of this subsection. The CCA at time of GMP option exercise is subject to negotiation between the contractor and the contracting officer and may be different than the amount at time of contract award.

(iii)  The amount of the CCA will depend on the status of design and construction, as well as the complexity and uncertainties of the project. Early phase designs usually include less defined scope and, accordingly, may require a higher initial CCA at time of contract award. Later phase designs may remove uncertainties and reduce risk, allowing for a lower CCA at time of GMP option exercise.

(iv)  The CCA shall not exceed 3 percent of the ECW, unless approved in writing by the HCA for a higher amount not to exceed 5 percent of the ECW.

(4)  Fee for the Construction Work.

(i)  The fee may be proposed per phase of construction if each phase is a separate option.

(ii)  At time of proposal submission, the offeror shall submit a list of the items included within the offeror's home office overhead.

(iii)  At time of proposal submission, the fee elements may be expressed as a percentage of the ECW, but shall be converted to a fixed amount prior to executing the GMP option.

(iv)  The fee for the construction work is not increased or decreased based on fluctuations in the actual costs of the work. The fee may, however be adjusted for changes that are the basis for a change order, including scope changes, differing site conditions, and Government-caused delays.

(v) Any fee for the construction work associated with a change order shall not be driven by a fixed percentage. The contracting officer should determine whether the profit included, if any, in a contractor's proposal is reasonable, see FAR 15.404-4 for additional guidance. The limitations of GSAR 552.243-71, especially markups, still apply for any changes.

(b)  Design Phase.

(1)  The GMP may be bilaterally modified upward during the design phase only for approved additions to the scope of work.

(2)  The GMP may be bilaterally modified downward during the design phase for deletions to the scope of work.

(c)  Exercising the GMP Option.

(1)  The GMP option shall not be exercised until the final ECW is established.

(2) If the sum of the final ECW, CCA, and fee for construction work is less than the GMP as established at contract award or as adjusted in accordance with FAR Part 43, then the contracting officer shall adjust the GMP downward accordingly through a bilateral modification to exercise the GMP option.

(3) If the sum of the final ECW, CCA, and fee for the construction work is greater than the GMP as established at contract award or as adjusted in accordance with FAR Part 43, then the contracting officer should work with the contractor to identify measures to reduce the overall GMP. Such measures may include reducing the CCA, reducing the fee, or as a last resort, reducing the scope of the project.

(4) The GMP option shall not be exercised if the final ECW, CCA, and fee for the construction work is greater than the GMP as established at contract award or as adjusted in accordance with FAR Part 43.

(d)  Construction Phase.

(1)  After award of the GMP option, changes in scope may be issued as an adjustment to the GMP or as a stand-alone firm-fixed-price line item.

(2) Any changes in scope after award of the GMP option shall be reflected by a written modification to the construction contract in accordance with FAR Part 43.

(e)  Early Work Package.

(1) Early work packages (see 536.7105-7) may be used in the procurement that are priced separately or included in the GMP option.

(2)  If any early work package exercised reduces the scope of the construction services under the GMP option, the ECW shall be reduced, and the CCA, fee for the construction work, and GMP shall be adjusted accordingly.

(f)  GMP Adjustment.

(1)  Any changes to the total GMP or individual parts of the GMP must be incorporated in the contract through a modification.

(2)  Any modification that changes the GMP, including modifications for early work packages and fixed price conversions, must clearly state that it includes a change to the GMP and describe the changes to the individual parts of the GMP components in the modification.

(3) Any modification that changes the total GMP, or individual parts of the GMP, is subject to the requirement for a prenegotiation objectives memo and price negotiation memo, including fair and reasonable price determination, per FAR 15.406.

(4)  The contracting officer should consult other members of the acquisition team, including the project manager, to analyze and justify any adjustments to the total GMP, or individual parts of the GMP.