Government Procurement Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the abbreviations, programs, and procurement methods you encounter in federal, state, and local contracting. Each term links to a fuller explanation and live bids that mention it.
Solicitation Types
Invitation for Bid (IFB)
A sealed-bid solicitation where award goes to the lowest responsible bidder meeting the agency's specifications.
Request for Information (RFI)
A market-research solicitation — the agency asks vendors for information but does not yet plan to award a contract.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
A solicitation that asks vendors to propose how they would deliver a complex requirement — evaluation considers both price and technical approach.
Request for Quotation (RFQ)
A simpler solicitation that asks vendors for a price quote on a specific, well-defined product or service.
Sources Sought Notice (Sources Sought)
A pre-solicitation notice the agency uses to identify available sources before deciding whether to issue an RFP and whether to set aside the procurement.
Federal Identifiers
CAGE Code (CAGE)
A five-character identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency that identifies firms doing business with the US federal government. Required alongside the UEI for SAM.gov registration.
NAICS Code (NAICS)
The North American Industry Classification System — six-digit codes that federal procurement uses to categorize businesses and contract opportunities.
Product Service Code (PSC)
A four-character code used by the federal government to identify the products and services being procured — a finer-grained classification alongside NAICS codes.
SAM.gov (SAM)
The System for Award Management — the official US government site where vendors must register before bidding on or receiving most federal contracts.
Small Business Administration (SBA)
The federal agency that administers small-business size standards, set-aside certifications, and small-business lending programs.
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
A 12-character identifier assigned by SAM.gov to every entity registered to do business with the US federal government. Replaced the DUNS number in April 2022.
Contract Vehicles
Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)
A simplified federal contracting arrangement that lets an agency place repeated orders with one or more vendors at pre-negotiated prices.
Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC)
A federal IDIQ contract designated by OMB for use by all federal agencies — typically for IT and technology services.
GSA Schedule (Multiple Award Schedules) (GSA Schedule)
The federal government's largest contracting vehicle — pre-approved vendors and pricing for products and services across hundreds of categories.
Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity Contract (IDIQ)
A federal contract type that pre-qualifies vendors and pre-negotiates terms, letting agencies place multiple orders against the contract without re-competing.
Multiple Award Schedule (MAS)
The current name for the GSA Schedule program — a federal contracting vehicle that pre-approves vendors and pricing across many categories of products and services.
OASIS / OASIS+ (OASIS)
The federal government's primary professional-services GWAC, administered by GSA. OASIS+ replaces and expands the original OASIS contracts.
Set-Asides
8(a) Business Development Program (8(a))
A nine-year SBA program for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, providing access to sole-source and competitive set-aside contracts.
Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB)
A subset of WOSB for women-owned firms whose owners also meet economic disadvantage criteria.
HUBZone Program (HUBZone)
A federal set-aside program for small businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones with the majority of employees living in those zones.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
A federal set-aside program for small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans.
Set-Aside (Set-Aside)
A procurement that is reserved exclusively for vendors meeting specific eligibility criteria, typically small businesses or businesses certified under SBA preference programs.
Small Business (Small Business)
A business that meets the SBA size standard for the applicable NAICS code — typically a revenue threshold or employee count.
Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)
A federal program for small businesses owned by veterans (without the service-disabled requirement of SDVOSB).
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
A federal set-aside program for small businesses that are at least 51% owned, controlled, and managed by women.
Wage & Labor Laws
Davis-Bacon Act (Davis-Bacon)
A federal law requiring contractors on federally funded construction projects over $2,000 to pay at least the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits.
Prevailing Wage (Prevailing Wage)
The locally prevailing hourly wage and fringe benefit rate that the US Department of Labor (or state labor departments) determines for each job classification and geography.
Service Contract Act (SCA)
A federal law requiring contractors on federal service contracts over $2,500 to pay at least the locally prevailing wages and benefits for service workers.
Procurement Methods
Best-Value Source Selection (Best Value)
A federal evaluation method where the agency considers price and non-price factors together to select the offer that represents the best overall value — not necessarily the cheapest.
Full and Open Competition (F&O)
A federal procurement competed without restriction — any responsible offeror may submit a proposal.
Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)
A federal best-value source selection method where the agency awards to the lowest-priced offer that meets minimum technical thresholds.
Micro-Purchase (Micro-Purchase)
A federal purchase below the micro-purchase threshold ($10,000 for most goods/services) that can be made without competition, typically using a government purchase card.
Simplified Acquisition (SAT)
Federal procurement procedures under FAR Part 13 for purchases below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $250,000 for most agencies).
Sole-Source Contract (Sole Source)
A contract awarded without competition because the agency has determined only one source can perform the work or because a set-aside program authorizes non-competitive award within a dollar threshold.
Bid & Performance Bonds
Bid Bond (Bid Bond)
A surety bond submitted with a bid that guarantees the bidder will sign the contract and provide performance/payment bonds if awarded.
Payment Bond (Payment Bond)
A surety bond that guarantees the contractor will pay subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers.
Performance Bond (Performance Bond)
A surety bond that guarantees the contractor will complete the work to specification.
Compliance & Regulations
Buy American Act (Buy American)
A federal law requiring agencies to give preference to domestically produced goods on federal contracts, with exceptions for unavailable items and trade agreement countries.
Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS)
The federal system where contracting officers rate contractor performance after the contract — these ratings are the primary input to past-performance evaluations on future bids.
Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS)
The Department of Defense supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, adding DoD-specific rules and clauses.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
The primary regulation governing acquisition by federal civilian and defense agencies — the rulebook for federal contracting.
FedRAMP (FedRAMP)
The federal authorization framework required for cloud services used by federal agencies. Three impact levels (Low, Moderate, High) and a 12-24 month authorization process.
Past Performance (Past Performance)
Your documented record of completing similar prior contracts — a key evaluation factor in federal best-value source selection.