Contract Amendment Request (CAR)

A Contract Amendment Request (CAR) is your formal mechanism for modifying an existing government contract—whether that's adjusting timelines, changing budget figures, or tweaking deliverables. Amendments are a normal part of contract management, but they're heavily regulated to prevent abuse of the procurement system. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself canceling a contract and starting from scratch.

How It Works

When you need to change a contract, the Supply Manual Chapter 4.10 on Contract Change Management lays out the ground rules. Your contracting authority must document the justification, ensure the amendment serves the government's best interest, and secure proper approval before proceeding. According to Treasury Board Contracting Policy section 12.9.1, amendments should only happen when they save dollars or time, or when they help facilitate the contract's primary objective. You can't simply amend your way around competitive requirements.

The type of change matters enormously. Administrative corrections—fixing errors in the original contract—are relatively straightforward. Significant changes to the scope of work? That's different territory entirely. If the statement of work included in your original bid solicitation needs substantial revision, you're looking at canceling the contract and launching a new competitive procurement process. PSPC's assessor guidance makes this clear: you cannot use amendments to fundamentally transform what you originally contracted for.

In practice, the approval process varies by dollar value and department. Some amendments under $200,000 may not require departmental contract review board approval, though your contracting authority still needs to sign off. Larger amendments, especially those approaching the original contract value, face much tighter scrutiny. The Procurement Ombudsman's review of non-competitive contracts emphasized that amendments cannot be used to manipulate the system or avoid competition—a practice that violates the Government Contracts Regulations.

Key Considerations

• Scope changes trigger re-procurement: If you're altering the category, level, or fundamental nature of the work, expect to cancel and restart. The only exception is correcting administrative errors from the original contract.

• Documentation is everything: Your justification needs to demonstrate clear benefit to the government. Vague rationales like "operational necessity" won't cut it—be specific about cost savings, time benefits, or how the change supports contract objectives.

• Cumulative amendments raise red flags: Multiple small amendments that collectively double your contract value will attract attention. Auditors and the Procurement Ombudsman look for patterns that suggest you underestimated requirements to avoid higher approval thresholds.

• Timing matters for competitive fairness: If your amendment would have changed who bid or how they priced their proposals, you're likely outside acceptable bounds. The Financial Administration Act and Government Contracts Regulations exist to protect competitive integrity.

Related Terms

Statement of Work, Contracting Authority, Treasury Board Contracting Policy, Contract Change Order

Sources

• Supply Manual - Chapter 4.10 - Contract Change Management

• Contract Amendments - Assessor Guidance Document (PSPC)

• Procurement Practice Review of Non-Competitive Contracts (Procurement Ombudsman)

Bottom line: treat amendment requests as seriously as your original procurement. The regulatory framework exists to ensure fairness, and shortcuts have a way of catching up with you during audits or ombudsman reviews.