Glossary / Acquisition, Finance
Micro-purchase thresholdMPT
The micro-purchase threshold is the value under which a federal purchase needs no competition, no quotes from several suppliers and no small-business set-aside; the buyer just buys, most often with a government purchase card. The FAR Council raised it from $10,000 to $15,000 on October 1, 2025. Higher thresholds apply for some construction, for research institutions and in contingency operations, and buyers are told to spread micro-purchases among qualified suppliers rather than favor one.
Why it matters to your pipeline
Micro-purchases are the most common federal transaction by far and almost never appear as a notice. A company that is known to a program office, with a card-ready way to pay, picks up repeat orders that never go to competition. They are small, but they are the quickest proof that a company can deliver to a federal customer, and they put a firm on a buyer's mind before the larger buys.
When this term shows up in an opening GovSmith finds for you, your vCM explains what it means for that pursuit and does whatever it calls for. You decide; we do the work.
Example
A lab manager at a VA medical center orders $9,800 of replacement sensors from a small distributor with a purchase card, after the vCM's note to the lab about the distributor's GSA pricing. No notice was posted and no quote was required.
Find out what applies to you
Some terms will matter to your business right away and some won’t for years. A vCM can tell you which are which.