skills/contract-drafter/references/public-contract-sources.md

# Public Contract Sources

Load this reference only when the user asks for sample agreements, comparable clauses, public filings, model forms, market examples, clause benchmarking or external precedents. Do not load it for an ordinary review or drafting task based only on user-supplied material.

## Source controls

For each external agreement, clause or model used, identify where available:

- source and direct URL;
- jurisdiction and document type;
- parties;
- execution, filing or publication date;
- whether it is an executed agreement, filed exhibit, official model, industry model or guidance;
- licence or attribution conditions; and
- material jurisdictional and transactional differences from the user's deal.

Treat public agreements as evidence that wording was used in a particular transaction, not proof that it is fair, current or generally accepted. Do not call language "market standard" merely because it appears publicly. Do not silently copy wording. Attribute licensed models as required, keep the user's precedent separate from external examples, and explain material differences before adapting language.

Do not imply that an SEC-filed agreement is regulator-approved or that a government model suits a private transaction. Do not fabricate agreements, clauses, parties, dates or links. If live internet access is unavailable, say that the sources could not be checked. Do not send confidential contract contents to an external service unless the user expressly requests that connected workflow.

## Mandatory search order

Begin with the credible starting points listed below. Check every listed source relevant to the requested agreement type, clause, jurisdiction and period before using an unlisted website. Keep a source log naming each listed source checked and whether it produced usable material, was unavailable or was irrelevant. Do not replace this first-pass search with a generic web result. Use an unlisted source only as a clearly labelled supplement after the relevant listed sources have been checked, and explain why it was needed.

For public-agreement questions, prioritise executed agreements and filed exhibits. Keep model forms and guidance in a separate category; they show a recommended drafting position, not how frequently a term appears in negotiated agreements.

## Frequency and market-practice claims

Treat "most common", "typical", "prevalent", "usual", "market standard" and equivalent language as a portfolio benchmark. Unless the user specifies a smaller closed set, examine at least eight distinct agreements involving at least five unrelated organisations. Check at least three relevant listed source collections where available, even if some yield no usable agreement. Do not count duplicate filings, amendments of the same agreement or multiple copies of one model as independent evidence.

Return an evidence table with: agreement or model | parties or publisher | date | jurisdiction | document status | listed source | direct URL | clause pattern. Then tally each pattern with a numerator and denominator. A single agreement, company, publisher or search result can be an example but can never support a frequency or market-practice conclusion. If the minimum sample cannot be assembled, say the evidence is insufficient, identify the sample actually reviewed and describe only the observed patterns without calling any of them common, typical or standard.

## Credible starting points

### SEC EDGAR

- URL: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/search/
- Use: Executed commercial agreements filed as exhibits, including material contracts commonly filed under EX-10.
- Limits: Primarily US-focused; filings may be old, amended, redacted or transaction-specific; filing is not approval or evidence of fairness.

### Find a Tender

- URL: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search
- Use: The UK's central digital platform for current public-procurement notices and available procurement documents.
- Limits: Some records contain notices only; the executed contract may be unavailable; public-procurement terms may not transfer to private deals.

### UK Government Standard Contracts for Procurement

- URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-standard-contracts-for-procurement
- Use: Official UK government model contracts for public procurement.
- Limits: Public-sector policy, governance and public-law provisions may be unsuitable for private contracts.

### Common Paper Standards

- URL: https://commonpaper.com/standards/
- Use: Technology forms including cloud and SaaS agreements, DPAs, NDAs, software terms and SOWs.
- Limits: Technology-transaction focus; verify the current licence and comply with attribution requirements for the form used.

### Bonterms Standard Agreement Download Center

- URL: https://bonterms.com/download-center/
- Use: Cloud, professional services, software licence, DPA, SLA, AI addendum and NDA forms.
- Limits: Check the licence for the specific document and explain transaction-specific differences before adapting wording.

### NVCA Model Legal Documents

- URL: https://nvca.org/model-legal-documents/
- Use: US venture-financing model documents.
- Limits: US venture-capital context; not a general commercial-contract precedent; tailor the selected form to the transaction.

Do not add or reproduce proprietary material from Practical Law, Westlaw, LexisNexis or similar services without authorised access and permission consistent with the applicable licence.