Protests to the agency are first considered by the contracting officer. In accordance with FAR 33.103(d)(4), the protestor may appeal the contracting officer's decision by delivering or providing a written request to the agency Director, Division of Contracts or Property Management, or designee, to conduct an independent review of the Contracting Officer's decision.

Final decisions of the NRC contracting officer on contract disputes and appeals issued under to the Contracts Disputes Act will be heard by the Department of Energy Board of Contract Appeals (EBCA) under an interagency agreement between the NRC and the Department of Energy. The EBCA rules appear in 10 CFR part 1023.

The contracting officer shall alter the paragraph at FAR 33.211(a)(4)(v) to identify the Energy Board of Contract Appeals and include its address: U.S. Department of Energy, Board of Contract Appeals, HG-50, Building 950, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, when preparing a written decision.

The contracting officer shall use the clause at FAR 52.233-1, Disputes, with its Alternate I, where continued performance is vital to national security, the public health and safety, critical and major agency programs, or other essential supplies or services whose timely reprocurement from other sources would be impractical.