GovCon glossary

A nine-year SBA program that helps socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses compete for federal contracts, including sole-source awards.

GSA's governmentwide acquisition contract for IT services reserved for 8(a) firms, with directed orders allowed up to the 8(a) sole-source thresholds.

Tiered classification (I, II, III) that determines how much oversight a DoW program receives based on dollar value and scope.

An agency's published list of the contracts it expects to compete in the coming year, with estimated values, set-asides and dates.

A warranted contracting officer who administers contracts after award, handling modifications, payment, and compliance issues.

GSA's unrestricted governmentwide acquisition contract for enterprise IT services, the vehicle large integrators and their small teaming partners use for the biggest civilian and defense IT orders.

The Department of War-funded network, formerly the PTACs, that gives businesses free counseling on government contracting in every state.

The formal cybersecurity approval that permits a DoW system to connect to a production network and handle real data.

The public notice that a contract was awarded, naming the awardee, the value and the contract number.

A written understanding of the terms that will apply to future orders between an agency and a supplier, not itself a contract.

The outcome a buyer seeks when it weighs price against other factors, from lowest-price-technically-acceptable to a full trade-off.

A formal objection to how a solicitation was written or an award was decided, filed with the agency, the GAO or the Court of Federal Claims.

A simplified method for filling anticipated recurring needs by establishing charge accounts against which orders can be placed.

A solicitation vehicle used to fund basic and applied research with no specific, pre-defined end system in mind.

The 1933 law giving a price preference to domestic end products and construction materials in federal purchases, with a rising domestic-content threshold.

A one-page summary of what a company does, its differentiators, its past performance and its codes, written for a government buyer.

The work done on one opportunity before the solicitation is out: learning the buyer, shaping the requirement and lining up the team and the price to win.

Autonomous or semi-autonomous uncrewed aircraft designed to operate as wingmen alongside crewed fighters.

A 5-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to suppliers of goods and services to the U.S. government.

A list of every data deliverable required under a contract, captured on DD Form 1423 with delivery dates, formats, and distribution.

A standardized four-digit identifier for each priced item on a federal contract, following the Uniform Contract Format.

A pre-competed contract, such as a schedule, a GWAC or an agency IDIQ, that buyers order from without a new full competition.

The only government official with the legal authority to enter into, administer, or terminate federal contracts.

A government employee formally designated to monitor technical performance on a contract on behalf of the Contracting Officer.

A legacy term for a COR, still used by some civilian agencies. Functionally identical to a Contracting Officer's Representative.

The governmentwide system of record for documenting contractor performance ratings used in future source-selection evaluations.

Unclassified information that federal law, regulation, or government policy requires be protected or controlled when handled by contractors.

An arrangement that lets many state and local buyers order from one competed contract, such as a NASPO ValuePoint or GSA cooperative contract.

A cost-reimbursement contract type under which the contractor receives allowable costs plus a pre-negotiated fixed fee.

A cost-reimbursement contract with a target fee that adjusts based on a pre-negotiated formula tied to performance, cost, or schedule.

The Common Procurement Vocabulary, the European Union's classification for the subject of public contracts, used on every TED notice.

A tiered DoW certification program verifying that contractors protect Federal Contract Information and Controlled Unclassified Information.

A 9-digit business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet, retired as the federal registration ID in April 2022 in favor of the UEI.

The law requiring prevailing wages and fringe benefits for laborers and mechanics on federal construction contracts over $2,000.

The explanation an offeror may request after an award, or after being excluded, of how its proposal was evaluated.

A DoW agency that audits contractor cost data, accounting systems, incurred costs, and forward pricing rates for negotiation and administration.

A DoW combat support agency that administers defense contracts after award, including ACO oversight, quality assurance, and delivery acceptance.

The DoW supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, containing DoW-specific contracting rules and clauses.

The DoW organization that writes DFARS policy, issues class deviations, and oversees pricing and contracting across the department.

The Department of Transportation's certification for small firms owned by disadvantaged people, used on federally funded state and local transportation projects.

Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy: the capability-solution framework.

SBA's public database of small businesses, built from SAM.gov registrations, that buyers and primes search when looking for small suppliers.

A project-management technique that integrates scope, schedule, and cost to measure program performance against a baseline.

The primary regulation that governs how executive agencies acquire supplies and services with appropriated funds.

A governmentwide database of federal contract actions, now integrated into SAM.gov as the official reporting source for contract awards.

A government-wide program that standardizes security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services.

A contract type under which the contractor is paid a set price regardless of actual cost, placing all cost risk on the contractor.

A U.S. government-to-government program for transferring defense articles and services to eligible foreign governments and international organizations.

A federal law that provides the public a right to access federal agency records, subject to nine specific exemptions.

The Army-led effort to field next-generation rotorcraft, starting with the FLRAA tiltrotor meant to replace many UH-60 Black Hawks.

The legislative-branch audit and oversight agency; also the primary forum for bid protests against federal procurements.

A pre-competed, multi-agency IDIQ for IT products and services; examples include GSA's Alliant 3, Polaris, VETS 2 and 8(a) STARS III.

GSA's online portal where buyers post requests for quotes and proposals to Schedule and GWAC holders only.

A long-term, governmentwide contract administered by GSA that lets agencies order commercial products and services at pre-negotiated prices.

An SBA program that provides federal contracting preferences to small businesses located in economically distressed areas.

The contractor currently performing the work that a new competition will cover.

A contract type that provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services during a fixed period, with orders placed as needed.

The government's internal estimate of what a contract should reasonably cost, developed before solicitation and used during evaluation.

A buyer-hosted event, in person or online, where an agency briefs companies on an upcoming requirement or its forecast and takes questions.

A sealed-bidding solicitation used when requirements are clear, specifications are complete, and award can be made based on price alone.

The Joint Staff's process for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing capability gaps, which DoW began disestablishing in 2025.

A separate entity two or more companies form to bid and perform a contract together, with SBA rules on when a JV may compete as a small business.

A contracting approach that specifies the amount of labor hours to be applied, rather than a specific deliverable.

A source-selection method that awards to the lowest-priced offeror whose proposal meets minimum technical requirements.

The value, $15,000 since October 1, 2025, under which a government buyer can simply buy, usually with a purchase card, with no competition required.

The designated official who approves a program's transition from one acquisition phase to the next.

Any contract in which multiple vendors are awarded a seat from which they can compete for future task or delivery orders.

GSA's consolidated Schedule program covering commercial products and services across 12 Large Categories, available to all federal agencies.

A multiple-award IDIQ used extensively for construction and architect-engineer work, with a pool of primes competing for task orders.

The annual law that authorizes DoW programs and funding and routinely introduces significant acquisition-policy changes.

A 13-digit identifier assigned to standardized supply items stocked by the federal government, used across DoW and NATO supply chains.

The Air Force's sixth-generation crewed fighter program and its companion family of autonomous collaborative combat aircraft.

The commodity and service code system most state and local governments use to classify what they buy and to notify registered vendors.

A legal agreement binding one or more parties to protect confidential information shared during a business relationship or procurement.

A 6-digit industry classification code used by the federal government to categorize business activity and set size standards for small-business status.

GSA's successor to OASIS: six services IDIQ contracts, one each for unrestricted, small business, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, and HUBZone firms.

The office in each federal agency that advocates for small businesses in its contracting and publishes its forecast and outreach events.

A GSA multiple-award contract for complex professional services, including management consulting, engineering, and scientific support, now replaced by OASIS+.

The list of opportunities a company is pursuing, each at a stage from first sighting to award, with its value, its dates and its odds.

An extra period of performance the government may add to a contract on its own decision, priced when the contract was awarded.

A situation in which a contractor's other activities or relationships may impair its ability to render impartial assistance or create unfair advantage.

The manufacturer of an original product or component, often operating through authorized resellers, distributors, or system integrators.

A statutory authority (10 U.S.C. §§ 4021–4023) that lets DoW and some agencies execute agreements outside the FAR for research, prototyping, and follow-on production.

A contractor's record of performance on prior contracts, used as a predictor of future performance during source selection.

A statement of outcomes and performance standards, used in performance-based contracting to describe what is required without dictating how.

The dates between which the contractor is to perform the work, as written in the contract or order.

The designated person on each side of a business relationship responsible for communication and coordination.

GSA's small-business governmentwide acquisition contract for IT services, with pools for small, HUBZone, women-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned firms.

A SAM.gov notice that a solicitation is coming, with the requirement, the set-aside and the expected date, posted before the solicitation itself.

The company that holds the contract with the government and is responsible to it for all of the work, including any it subcontracts.

The standardized 13- to 17-character identifier assigned to each federal contract and agreement, used in FPDS and across procurement systems.

A 4-character code used by the federal government to classify the type of products or services being acquired on each contract.

The services' five-year budget submission that proposes how to allocate funds across programs.

A government plan that defines how contractor performance will be monitored against contract standards, typically paired with a PWS.

A new competition for work an existing contract already covers, held because that contract is reaching the end of its term.

A non-binding request used by agencies to gather market research, assess industry capability, and refine requirements before a formal solicitation.

A negotiated-procurement solicitation used when the award decision involves non-price factors and discussions may be held.

A solicitation used for simplified acquisitions or Schedule buys where the government seeks price quotations on clearly defined products or services.

DoW's major appropriation category for research, development, testing, and evaluation activities, organized into budget activities 1 through 8.

The two tests an offer and an offeror must pass: the offer follows the solicitation as written, and the company is able and fit to perform.

SBA's program pairing a small protege with an experienced mentor that gives it help and may form a joint venture with it for set-aside work.

The 2019 NDAA provision barring the government from buying, and contractors from using, covered telecommunications equipment from named Chinese companies.

The federal law requiring contractors on service contracts over $2,500 to pay at least the locally prevailing wages and benefits in a Department of Labor wage determination.

An SBA-certified small business at least 51% owned by one or more service-disabled veterans, eligible for set-aside and sole-source awards.

A solicitation reserved for competition among a specific category of firms, such as small businesses, 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, or HUBZone.

The standard form used for solicitation, contract, and order of commercial items under FAR Part 12.

The dollar line, $350,000 since October 1, 2025, below which buyers can use the quick procedures of FAR Part 13 instead of a full competition.

An IDIQ awarded to one company, so every task order under it goes to that holder without further competition.

SBA's limit, in average annual receipts or in employees, under which a company counts as small for a given NAICS code.

A business that meets SBA's size standards for the applicable NAICS code, measured by employees or average annual receipts.

The independent federal agency that supports small businesses through loan guarantees, counseling, and federal contracting programs.

A federal program that funds small-business R&D in three phases, retaining intellectual property rights with the small business.

An SBA-coordinated R&D program similar to SBIR that requires the small business to partner with a research institution like a university or federal lab.

A small business at least 51 percent owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged people, a status a firm self-certifies in SAM.gov.

An award made to one company without competition, under an exception the contracting officer must justify in writing.

A formal change to a solicitation after it is issued, which offerors must acknowledge in their proposals.

NASA's governmentwide IT products GWAC, widely used across federal agencies for hardware, software, and cloud solutions.

A pre-solicitation notice used by agencies to identify potential sources, assess market depth, and validate set-aside decisions.

A government document that states broad objectives without prescribing how to achieve them, inviting contractors to propose their own approach.

A contract document that specifies what work is to be done, how, and to what standard, often with detailed tasks and deliverables.

A company that performs part of a government contract under an agreement with the prime contractor, not with the government.

The DoW system where contractors post their NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment scores and CMMC status, which contracting officers check before award.

The primary U.S. government database for contractor registration, solicitation postings, and entity validation.

An individual order issued under an IDIQ or MAC contract that defines a specific scope, price, and delivery schedule.

A written arrangement between companies to pursue a specific opportunity together, usually as a prime and one or more subcontractors.

A hybrid contract type that pays fixed hourly labor rates plus reimbursement for materials, typically used when scope is hard to estimate up front.

The law that, above its thresholds, lets agencies buy products from designated trade-agreement countries while barring those from non-designated ones, such as China.

A source-selection approach that lets evaluators trade price against non-price factors to select the best-value proposal.

A federal law (now titled 'Truthful Cost or Pricing Data', 10 U.S.C. chapter 271 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 35) requiring contractors to submit certified cost or pricing data on large negotiated contracts.

A contract action, such as a letter contract, that starts work before the price and terms are fully negotiated, to be definitized within set limits.

A 12-character alphanumeric identifier generated by SAM.gov that replaced the legacy DUNS number as the federal entity ID in April 2022.

A written proposal a company submits on its own initiative, for an innovative idea the government has not asked for, under FAR 15.6.

The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code, the classification the UN system, Australia and many state and corporate buyers use for what they buy.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation 2 contract, the VA's main IDIQ for IT services with a strong veteran-owned preference.

A small business at least 51% owned by one or more veterans (without requirement of service-connected disability), eligible for VA set-asides and some governmentwide preferences.

The DoW system (now part of the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment, PIEE) used by contractors to submit invoices, receiving reports, and shipment documents electronically.

An SBA-certified small business at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more women, eligible for WOSB and EDWOSB set-asides and sole-source awards.

A hierarchical decomposition of a project into deliverable-oriented components used for planning, cost estimation, and EVM reporting.

The World Trade Organization agreement under which its parties, the United States, the EU, the UK, Canada, Japan and others, open their covered government buying to each other's suppliers.