FAR 35.005—Work statement.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 35.005 explains how to write an effective work statement for research and development acquisitions, with different expectations for basic research versus development and applied research. It emphasizes that the statement must be clear, complete, and tailored to the specific effort, while still leaving contractors enough freedom to use innovation and creativity. The section also distinguishes between work statements suited to a level-of-effort approach and those suited to a task-completion approach, and it requires the wording to match the intended contract type, including cost-reimbursement and fixed-price structures. Finally, it identifies the kinds of information technical and contracting personnel should consider including in the solicitation, such as the area of exploration, tasks, objectives, background information, constraints, reporting requirements, contract type, estimated effort, and any special considerations like design-to-cost requirements. In practice, this section helps the Government avoid overprescribing R&D work, reduce ambiguity, and align the solicitation with the nature of the research effort and the contract vehicle.
Key Rules
Clear, complete work statement
The work statement must clearly describe the research area or end objectives and be complete enough to guide offerors. It should be tailored to the specific R&D effort rather than copied from a generic template.
Preserve contractor creativity
The statement should give contractors room to innovate and exercise judgment. Especially in R&D, the Government should avoid overly detailed directions that lock in a solution before the work begins.
Basic research focuses on knowledge
For basic research, the emphasis is on achieving specified objectives and expanding knowledge, not on delivering predetermined end results or specific performance characteristics. This is especially important in early or conceptual phases.
Do not mix effort and completion language
Contracting officers should not blend level-of-effort wording with task-completion wording in the same work statement. The language must match whether the Government wants technical effort and reporting, or a defined end item or completed task.
Match the contract type
The work statement must be consistent with the type and form of contract being negotiated. A cost-reimbursement level-of-effort effort, a cost-reimbursement completion effort, and a fixed-price effort should each be described differently.
Include key solicitation details
Technical and contracting personnel should consider including the research area, tasks, objectives, background information, constraints, reporting requirements, contract type, estimated effort for level-of-effort work, and any special requirements such as design-to-cost.
Responsibilities
Technical Personnel
Help draft a work statement that accurately describes the R&D effort, identifies objectives and constraints, and includes relevant technical background, reporting needs, and any special considerations.
Contracting Officer
Review the work statement for clarity, completeness, and consistency with the intended contract type and approach. Ensure level-of-effort and task-completion language are not mixed and that the solicitation wording supports the planned contract vehicle.
Agency/Program Office
Define the research or development need in a way that supports innovation while still giving the Government a usable basis for competition and contract administration. Provide background, constraints, and any required reporting or special requirements.
Contractor/Offeror
Use the work statement to understand the Government’s objectives, proposed contract structure, and reporting expectations, and prepare a technical approach that fits the level of flexibility or completion required.
Practical Implications
R&D solicitations should be written to guide performance without dictating the solution, or the Government may suppress innovation and get weaker proposals.
A common mistake is mixing level-of-effort and completion language, which can create disputes over whether the contractor owed effort, a report, or a finished result.
The contract type matters a lot: the same R&D effort should be described differently depending on whether it is cost-reimbursement, fixed-price, level-of-effort, or completion-based.
Including background information, constraints, and reporting requirements up front reduces ambiguity and helps offerors price and plan realistically.
For basic research, the Government should focus on objectives and knowledge gain rather than specific end products, especially in early-stage work where outcomes are uncertain.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) A clear and complete work statement concerning the area of exploration (for basic research) or the end objectives (for development and applied research) is essential. The work statement should allow contractors freedom to exercise innovation and creativity. Work statements must be individually tailored by technical and contracting personnel to attain the desired degree of flexibility for contractor creativity and the objectives of the R&D. (b) In basic research the emphasis is on achieving specified objectives and knowledge rather than on achieving predetermined end results prescribed in a statement of specific performance characteristics. This emphasis applies particularly during the early or conceptual phases of the R&D effort. (c) In reviewing work statements, contracting officers should ensure that language suitable for a level-of-effort approach, which requires the furnishing of technical effort and a report on the results, is not intermingled with language suitable for a task-completion approach, which often requires the development of a tangible end item designed to achieve specific performance characteristics. The wording of the work statement should also be consistent with the type and form of contract to be negotiated (see 16.207 and 16.306 (d)). For example, the work statement for a cost-reimbursement contract promising the contractor’s best efforts for a fixed term would be phrased differently than a work statement for a cost-reimbursement completion contract promising the contractor’s best efforts for a defined task. Differences between work statements for fixed-price contracts and cost-reimbursement contracts should be even clearer. (d) In preparing work statements, technical and contracting personnel shall consider and, as appropriate, provide in the solicitation- (1) A statement of the area of exploration, tasks to be performed, and objectives of the research or development effort; (2) Background information helpful to a clear understanding of the objective or requirement ( e.g., any known phenomena, techniques, methodology, or results of related work); (3) Information on factors such as personnel, environment, and interfaces that may constrain the results of the effort; (4) Reporting requirements and information on any additional items that the contractor is required to furnish (at specified intervals) as the work progresses; (5) The type and form of contract contemplated by the Government and, for level-of-effort work statements, an estimate of applicable professional and technical effort involved; and (6) Any other considerations peculiar to the work to be performed; for example, any design-to-cost requirements.