IFC Extension Projects are buildingSMART's instrument to research, develop and prototypically implement new features of the IFC data model. A project should be conducted by a group of participants with background in the respective industry domain — end users, implementers, researchers. Depending on the goals of a project, international participation in an extension project will be required.

An extension project generally involves

• to identify information requirements based on business needs in the respective industry domain,
• to define the necessary data model extensions,
• to validate the model e.g. by prototyping,
• to document the proposed IFC extensions, including implementation guidelines.

The Model Support Group assists with technical advice during IFC extension projects. When a project is nearing its conclusion, broader review of project results within buildingSMART will be initiated. Finally, integration of the extension proposals into a next version of the IFC specification can be started, depending on the planned scope of upcoming IFC releases.

A Project Manager is appointed by ITM for each release of the IFC specifications. The role of the Project Manager is to define, agree and then manage the scope, schedule and budget for the appointed release. There is a form to be used for new project proposals, as well a guidance document on completing the form.