Federal Contracting: Benefits and Drawbacks of Cost Reimbursement Contracts The objective of this study is to examine the pros and cons of cost-reimbursement contracts from the view of the federal contractor and to discuss which elements of cost-reimbursement contracts tend to produce the biggest troubles for contractors and explain why.

Cost-Reimbursement Compared to Fixed-Price Contract

Cost-reimbursement or cost-plus is reported as a contract "where a contractor is paid for all of its allowed expenses to a set limit plus additional payment to allow for a profit." (GovWin, 2010, p.1) Cost-reimbursement contracts can be contrasted with fixed-price contracts, which are reported to be such that the contractors "are paid a negotiated amount regardless of incurred expenses." (GovWin, 2010, p.1) Fixed-price contracts make provision of payment of the allowable costs that are incurred in performance of a contract "to the extent prescribed in the contract." (GovWin, 2010, p.1)

In the fixed-price contracts, "an estimate of the total cost is established so that the government can obligate funds." (GovWin, 2010, p.1) This estimate is used as well in establishment of a ceiling or limit on the amount of costs that may be incurred by the contractor "without the contracting officer approval and that the contractor exceeds (at his own risk)." (GovWin, 2010, p.1) Cost-reimbursement contracts are such that may only be used when "uncertainties involved in contract performance do not permit costs to be estimate with sufficient accuracy to use any type of fixed-price contract." (GovWin, 2010, p.1)

The cost-reimbursement contract involves the contractor agreeing to make provision of its "best effort...

(GovWin, 2010, p.1) The cost-reimbursement contract represented the "largest subgroup of cost-plus contracting in the U.S. defense sector" between the years 1995 and 2001.
II. Agencies that Use Cost-Reimbursement Contracts

Agencies that use cost-reimbursement contracts are reported to include those stated as follows:

(1) Federal Transit Administration;

(2) National Weather Service (NWS);

(3) U.S. Department of Defense (DOD); and (4) Other federal agencies. (GovWin, 2010, p.1)

III. Advantages of Cost-Reimbursement Contracts

There are certain advantages to the use of cost-reimbursement contracts. For example, when compared to fixed-price contracts a cost-plus contract "has little incentives to cut corners." (GovWin, 2010, p.1) As well, a cost-plus contract is used many times when "long-term quality is a much higher concern than cost, such as in the United States space program." (GovWin, 2010, p.1) Stated third as an advantage to the use of cost-reimbursement contracts is that the "final cost may be less than a fixed price contract because…