Civilian Board of Contract Appeals
Electronic Docketing System (EDS)
Soon, filers will be required to use the Electronic Docketing System (EDS) (https://www.eds.cbca.gov) for all filings in Contract Disputes Act (CDA) appeals—except documents filed pursuant to Board Rule 4 (48 CFR 6101.4)—and in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arbitrations.
Creating a New User Account
Parties must create a user account in EDS prior to filing any documents. For instructions on setting up a new user account, see Register as a New Filer.
EDS Best Practices
- Use a .pdf naming convention for submitted files that clearly identifies the nature of the document being filed.
- If a filing contains multiple attachments (associated documents), use a file naming convention that identifies and indicates the order of the attachments (i.e., Attachment 1, 2, etc.).
- File names of .pdfs uploaded to EDS can include the letters A to Z and a to z, numbers 0 to 9, and special characters &, #, ., _, and ( ). File names cannot exceed 250 characters.
- If the CBCA has consolidated the case with another pending case(s), a filing made in one case will automatically be filed in the joined case(s).
- Protected documents are filed like other documents in EDS. The protected documents must be marked in accordance with the protective order. Only authorized users in a particular case will have access to protected material filed in the case
- Rule 4 appeal files and supplements.
- Documents that are not in .pdf format.
- Documents with links requiring the Board to download attachments from third party document hosting services (e.g., Dropbox or secure FTP sites).
- Documents that exceed the Board's 20 megabyte (MB) size restriction.
- Documents whose file name has special characters (other than ., _, #, (), &) or exceeds 250 characters.
- Documents that are classified or submitted in camera.
- Documents that are protected but a judge has not issued a protective order.
- Documents that need to be protected but a judge has not issued a protective order.
- Documents containing viruses. All documents should be scanned for viruses before they are filed in EDS.
- Total submissions (documents and associated documents) of added documents that exceed the Board's 450 MB size restriction.
Parties may continue to submit the Rule 4 appeal files, supplements, and exhibits via efile (mailto:cbcaclerk@cbca.gov), provided that 1) there are no more than 10 total emails, each not to exceed 18 MB, 2) the index and each exhibit must be a separate .pdf file, and 3) exhibit .pdfs may not be merged or have embedded files. The CBCA also accepts Rule 4 appeal files, supplements, and exhibits by in-person, courier, or mail (USPS/FedEx/UPS) delivery on a CD, DVD, or flash drive or by Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). See the Rule 4 Appeal File tab for additional information on filing the Rule 4 appeal file, supplements, and exhibits and the submission guide for details on using SFTP. At this time, Rule 4 appeal files and supplements cannot be submitted in EDS.
Receipt of Filings in EDS
Filing in EDS occurs upon receipt by the Board's EDS server. The Board considers filings received by 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) as same day filings. EDS filings received at or after midnight (12:00 a.m. Eastern Time) are considered to have been filed the next business day. An electronic receipt will be generated by the EDS server for each EDS filing.
QuestionsAny questions about EDS, please email the Clerk at cbcaclerk@cbca.gov or call (202) 606-8800.
For guidance on creating a new account on EDS, see the Register as a New Filer instructions.