Overview
The FAR Clause Analyzer skill helps Rakenne users prepare and review proposals for US federal contracts under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). It ensures that mandatory clauses are identified, present, and correctly applied — whether you are responding as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor.
The skill accounts for contract type (fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, T&M, commercial items under FAR Part 12), dollar thresholds that trigger specific clauses, agency supplements (DFARS, GSAR, etc.), and the distinction between prime obligations and mandatory flow-downs to subcontractors.
Key Features
- Contract-type-aware analysis — Determines which FAR clauses apply based on contract type (FFP, cost-reimbursement, T&M/LH, commercial Part 12) and dollar value, avoiding false positives from inapplicable clauses.
- Clause identification — Identifies applicable FAR (and agency-supplement) clauses for the role (prime vs sub), including threshold-dependent clauses.
- Flow-down verification — Checks that clauses required to be flowed to subcontractors are addressed in proposals or teaming documents, using 52.244-6 rules for commercial-item subcontracts.
- Coverage report — Produces a clause-by-clause report (present, partial, missing) with recommended actions, section placement, and compliance approaches for each gap.
- Reps and certs check — Verifies Section K representations and certifications are addressed or confirmed via SAM.gov.
Getting Started
Add your proposal documents, compliance matrix, or solicitation clause list to the project workspace, then activate the FAR Clause Analyzer skill. The agent will ask for your role (prime or sub), contract type, estimated value, and agency, then analyze your materials against applicable FAR and agency-supplement clauses. It produces a structured coverage report and uses the built-in checklist template to track clause status. Address flagged gaps and re-run the analysis to confirm full coverage before submission.
Example Conversation
Below is an example of how a typical FAR clause review session unfolds. The agent gathers contract context, then analyzes the proposal against applicable clauses and produces a coverage report.
You: We’re responding to a DoD solicitation as prime. Can you check our proposal for mandatory FAR and flow-down clauses?
Agent: I’ll analyze your proposal against the applicable clause set. I need a few details:
- What is the contract type — fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, T&M, or commercial (FAR Part 12)?
- What is the estimated contract value? (This drives threshold-dependent clauses like small business subcontracting at $750K, certified cost or pricing data at $2M.)
- Do you have the solicitation’s Section I clause list, or should I use the standard set for your contract type and value?
- Will you have subcontractors? If yes, I’ll flag mandatory flow-downs (52.244-2, labor, EEO, small business, etc.).
You: It’s a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) task order under an IDIQ, about $4.2M. I’ve uploaded the Section I clause list as
solicitation_clauses.md. We’ll have two subs — one for lab work, one for IT.Agent: I’ve analyzed your proposal and clause list. I’ve created a coverage report at
output/far-clause-coverage.md. Summary:
- Applicable clauses — 47 from Section I plus mandatory flow-downs for your two subs. Contract value triggers small business subcontracting plan (52.219-9), CAS not applicable (below $7.5M).
- Present — 41 clauses clearly addressed in your compliance matrix or narrative.
- Gaps — 6 items need attention: 52.222-50 (trafficking in persons) is not in your sub flow-down exhibit; 52.227-14 is cited but your data-rights section doesn’t specify SBIR/limited rights for the lab sub’s deliverables; Section K reps — you reference SAM.gov but three solicitation-specific certifications aren’t checked. I’ve listed recommended actions and suggested section placement for each gap in the report.
You: Add the trafficking clause to the sub flow-down exhibit and draft a short data-rights paragraph for the lab sub. I’ll handle the Section K items in SAM.
Agent: I’ve updated the flow-down exhibit with 52.222-50 and added a data-rights paragraph for the lab subcontract (SBIR/limited rights, DFARS 252.227-7013 flow-down). The report is updated; the six gaps are now four (the two Section K items you’re handling externally). Want to re-run the analysis after you update Section K?
Sample Output Excerpt
Below is a representative excerpt from a FAR clause coverage report produced by the skill — the main deliverable the agent generates.
Clause coverage (excerpt)
| Clause | Title | Required | Flow-down | Present | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.219-9 | Small Business Subcontracting Plan | Y (≥$750K) | Y | Y | Plan in Section J; matrix in proposal. |
| 52.222-2 | Payment for Overtime Premiums | Y | Y | Y | Addressed in labor standards attachment. |
| 52.222-26 | Equal Opportunity | Y | Y | Y | EEO clause in flow-down exhibit. |
| 52.222-41 | E.O. 11246 (Affirmative Action) | Y | Y | Y | Cited in compliance matrix. |
| 52.222-50 | Combating Trafficking in Persons | Y | Y | N | Add to sub flow-down exhibit; include in subcontracts. |
| 52.227-14 | Rights in Data — General | Y | Y | Partial | Prime addressed; lab sub data rights (SBIR/limited) need explicit paragraph. |
| 52.244-2 | Subcontracts | Y | — | Y | Flow-down list attached. |
| 252.204-7012 | Safeguarding Covered Defense Information | Y (DoD) | Y | Y | CUI/cybersecurity section in proposal. |
Gaps and recommendations (excerpt)
- 52.222-50 (Trafficking in persons) — Missing. Add the substance of the clause to your standard flow-down exhibit and ensure it is included in all subcontracts. Recommend adding to
exhibits/flow_down_clauses.mdand referencing in the subcontractor compliance section. - 52.227-14 (Rights in data) — lab sub — Partial. The prime’s data-rights approach is stated, but the lab sub will deliver technical data under an SBIR contract; specify limited rights / SBIR data clause flow-down (e.g. 52.227-14 Alternate IV or DFARS 252.227-7013) and where it appears in the subcontract. Add a short paragraph to the “Subcontractor data and IP” section.
- Section K — Solicitation-specific certifications — Partial. Three certifications in the solicitation (K-1, K-2, K-3) are not marked as completed. Confirm in SAM.gov or in the proposal cover letter which certifications apply and that they are current; add a cross-reference in the proposal if needed.
What the analysis checks
The skill does not include separate validation scripts; the agent performs clause-by-clause analysis using the workflow in the skill. The following validations are applied so the coverage report is accurate and threshold- and contract-type-aware.
| Check | Description |
|---|---|
| Solicitation alignment | Every clause in the solicitation’s Section I (and any agency clause list) is matched to the proposal. No required clause is omitted. |
| Contract type | Clause set is appropriate for the contract type (e.g. commercial items use 52.212-4/52.212-5 and a reduced set; cost-type adds cost principles and CAS where applicable). |
| Dollar thresholds | Threshold-dependent clauses (e.g. small business subcontracting plan at $750K, certified cost or pricing data at $2M, CAS at $7.5M/$50M) are only required when the contract value meets the threshold. |
| Flow-down | For prime proposals with subcontractors: mandatory flow-down clauses (labor, EEO, small business, trafficking, data rights, cybersecurity where applicable) are identified and checked in the proposal’s flow-down exhibit or subcontract terms. For subcontract proposals: the prime’s flow-down list is used as the required set. |
| Commercial-item subcontracts | When subcontracts are for commercial items, flow-down follows 52.244-6; the agent does not require non-commercial clauses to be flowed where not applicable. |
| Agency supplements | For DoD: DFARS clauses (e.g. 252.204-7012, 252.227-7013/-7014) are included when applicable. For other agencies, the relevant supplement is considered. |
| Reps and certs | Section K representations and certifications are verified as addressed or confirmed via SAM.gov so the proposal does not miss required certifications. |
| Alternates and vagueness | Clause alternates (e.g. 52.227-14 Alternate IV for SBIR data) are matched to contract circumstances; vague or non-substantive coverage is flagged as partial. |
The agent uses the skill’s references (e.g. references/far_flowdown_basics.md) and the Provision and Clause Matrix (FAR 52.3) logic to avoid false positives and to keep the report actionable.