(a) A notice of appeal from a contracting officer's decision should indicate that an appeal is thereby intended. It should identify the contract by number or other identifying reference, and identify the decision from which the appeal is taken, or it should attach a copy of the contracting officer's decision. If an appeal is taken from the failure of a contracting officer to issue a decision, the notice of appeal should describe in detail the claim that the contracting officer has failed to decide and/or attach a copy of the claim that the contracting officer has failed to decide, and explain that the contracting officer has failed to decide the claim as required.

(b) The notice of appeal should be signed personally by the appellant (the contractor taking the appeal), or by an officer of the appellant corporation or member of the appellant firm, or by the contractor's duly authorized representative or attorney. The complaint referred to in § 955.7 may be filed with the notice of appeal, or the appellant may designate the notice of appeal as a complaint, if it otherwise fulfills the requirements of a complaint.