Federal Procurement

Federal Contracting — Glossary

544 terms explained in plain language. From FAR to FPDS, every acronym and concept in federal procurement — with live contract examples.

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Why federal contracting has its own vocabulary

Federal procurement runs on acronyms — FAR for the regulation, SAM for the registry, NAICS for industry classification, GSA Schedule for the buying vehicle, 8(a) / SDVOSB / HUBZone / WOSB for set-aside eligibility. Misreading even one can disqualify a bid or hide an opportunity. This glossary breaks down 544 terms in plain language, organized by category, with a direct link to live federal contracts that use each term — so you can see the concept in real procurement, not just read about it.

Most-searched federal contracting terms

From the 2026-06-14 Google Search Console pull. Click for plain-language definition + live examples.

NTE GSA Schedule SDVOSB FAR PIV SDB CUI RFP RFQ LOA Labor Category Whistleblower

Move from definitions to live records

Each glossary term answers the "what" — these dimension pages answer the "who's doing it now".

Agencies Contractors NAICS Codes Set-Asides FAR Parts Contracts Spending By State

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Process (208)Metric (75)Regulation (74)Agency (71)Contract Type (62)Certification (20)Status (15)Data Source (11)Acronym (8)

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Process(208 terms)

340b A-E Services(Architect-Engineer)ACAT(Acquisition Category)Acceptance Acquisition Plan Adjectival Ratings AGILE Authority to Connect BAA(Broad Agency Announcement)BAFO(Best and Final Offer)Best Value Best Value Tradeoff Bilateral Modification Black Hat Review Blue Team BONDING Boundary Protection CAC(Common Access Card)Capability Statement Capture Plan Category Management Eo CCAS(Contingency Contract Administration Services)CDM(Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation)CDR(Critical Design Review)CDRL(Contract Data Requirements List, DD Form 1423)CFP(Contractor-Furnished Property)Change Order Claim Clarifications Clinical Trial CLINS(Contract Line Item Numbers)Cloud Computing Cloud Smart Color Ratings Combined Synopsis Solicitation Commercial Item Determination Competitive Range Consent to Subcontract Constructive Change Continuous Monitoring Contracting Officer(The Contracting Officer)Cooperative Agreement Cost Share(or matching)Cost Volume COTR(Contracting Officer's Technical Representative)CUI(Controlled Unclassified Information)Cure Notice DCS(Direct Commercial Sales)DD Form 254 Debarment Debriefing Design-Bid-Build Design-Build DevSecOps Differing Site Conditions Discussions DPAS(Defense Priorities and Allocations System)Economy Act EHR(Electronic Health Record)EINSTEIN Equitable Adjustment Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Factors Final Proposal Revision FOA(Funding Opportunity Announcement)Foreign Military Sales Gate Review GFE(Government-Furnished Equipment)GFI(Government-Furnished Information)GFP(Government-Furnished Property)GMP(Good Manufacturing Practices)Gold Team Government Property GPC(Government Purchase Card)Grant IFB(Invitation for Bid)IL(Impact Level)Incident Response Plan Incumbent Industry Day Insider Threat Program Interagency Agreement IOT&E(Initial Operational Test and Evaluation)IRAD(Independent Research and Development)J&A(Justification and Approval)JCIDS(Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System)Joint Venture JWOD(formerly JWOD — Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act)Key Personnel LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)Limitation on Subcontracting Liquidated Damages Lowest Price Technically Acceptable LPTA(Lowest Price Technically Acceptable)LRIP(Low-Rate Initial Production)Market Research Mentor-Protege Program Micro-Purchase Micro-Purchase Threshold(The micro-purchase threshold)Modification MPT(Micro-Purchase Threshold)MRO(Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul)Name Change Agreement NOFO(Notice of Funding Opportunity)Nonmanufacturer Rule NOVATION OCONUS(Outside Continental United States)Option Exercise Oral Presentation Organizational Conflict of Interest Organizational Structure OTA(Other Transaction Authority)OTA (Defense)OTE(Operational Test and Evaluation)Partial Set-Aside Past Performance Past Performance Evaluation Payment Bond PDR(Preliminary Design Review)Penetration Testing Performance Bond PHI(Protected Health Information)Pink Team PIV(Personal Identity Verification)POA&M(Plan of Action and Milestones)PPBE(Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution)Pre-Award Survey Pre-Solicitation Conference Procurement Forecast Protest PTAC(Procurement Technical Assistance Center)PWS(Performance Work Statement)QASP(Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan)Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan Qui Tam Ratification REA(Request for Equitable Adjustment)Reciprocity Recompete Red Team Requirements Document Responsibility Responsibility Determination Reverse Auction RFI(Request for Information)RFP(Request for Proposal)RFQ(Request for Quotation)RMF(Risk Management Framework, NIST SP 800-37)Sample Task SBIR(Small Business Innovation Research)SBIR(Small Business Innovation Research)SBOM(Software Bill of Materials)SCIF(Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility)SDR(System Design Review)Section H(Special Contract Requirements)Section L(Instructions to Offerors)Section M(Evaluation Criteria)Security Assessment Report Security Control Assessment Show Cause Notice Shredding Simplified Acquisition Threshold(The Simplified Acquisition Threshold)Single Audit Size Protest Size Standard Small Business Subcontracting Plan Socioeconomic Programs SOFA(Status of Forces Agreement)Software Factory Sole Source Justification SOO(Statement of Objectives)Source Selection Source Selection Decision Document(The Source Selection Decision Document)Source Selection Plan Sources Sought SOW(Statement of Work)SPEC Special Access Program SSA(Source Selection Authority)SSEB(Source Selection Evaluation Board)STIG(Security Technical Implementation Guide)Stop Work Order(Stop-Work Order)Strategic Sourcing STTR(Small Business Technology Transfer)Subcontracting Goals Subcontracting Plan Subfactors Supply Chain Risk Management(Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management)Suspension SYNOPSIS System Security Plan Teaming Agreement Technical Volume TEP(Technical Evaluation Panel)Termination for Convenience Termination for Default TIC(Trusted Internet Connection)Total Small Business Set-Aside Transition Plan Unauthorized Commitment UNICOR(Federal Prison Industries)Unilateral Modification Vulnerability Scanning WARRANTY Weaknesses and Deficiencies Win Theme Zero Trust(Zero Trust Architecture)Zero Trust Architecture

Metric(75 terms)

Adequate Accounting System Allocable Cost Allowable Cost Appropriation Authorization Base Year Budget Authority CAS(Cost Accounting Standards)Color of Money Commercial Item Exception Continuing Resolution Cost Accounting System Cost Analysis Cost Realism Cost Realism Analysis Cost Reasonableness Country of Origin De-Obligation Demand Signal Disclosure Statement Evaluated Price EVM(Earned Value Management)Fee(or profit)Fiscal Year(federal Fiscal Year)Forward Pricing Rate Agreement Forward Pricing Rate Proposal Fringe Benefits Fringe Rate Full Funding FY(Fiscal Year)G&A Rate(General and Administrative)General and Administrative Government Shutdown Hubzone Price Evaluation Preference IFF(Industrial Funding Fee)Incremental Funding Incurred Cost Submission Indirect Cost Rate Indirect Rate(fringe, overhead, G&A)Indirect Rate Structure(fringe, overhead, G&A)Labor Category LOA(Letter of Offer and Acceptance)Loaded Rate(or fully burdened rate)MILCON(Military Construction)NICRA(Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement)NTE(Not-to-Exceed)O&M(Operations and Maintenance)Obligation ODC(Other Direct Costs)Offset OMNIBUS Option Year OUTLAY OVERHEAD Overhead Rate POP(Period of Performance)Prevailing Wage Price Analysis Price Reasonableness Procurement Appropriation Profit Analysis Provisional Billing Rate Qualifying Country Rate Escalation RDTE(Research, Development, Test & Evaluation)Reasonable Cost Sequestration Should Cost Specialty Metals Uncompensated Overtime Unfunded Requirements List Wage Determination WBS(Work Breakdown Structure)Wosb Sole-Source Threshold Wrap Rate(or fully burdened rate)

Regulation(74 terms)

2 Cfr 200 Anti-Kickback Act Antideficiency Act Berry Amendment Bona Fide Need Rule Brooks Act Buy American Byrd Amendment Cares Act(Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, 2020)Certified Cost or Pricing Data Chips Act CICA(Competition in Contracting Act, 1984)Clinger Cohen Act Contract Disputes Act Cost or Pricing Data Cybersecurity Eo Data Act(Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014)Davis-Bacon DFARS(Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement)EAR(Export Administration Regulations)Ethics Training Requirement False Claims Act FAR(Federal Acquisition Regulation)FAR Part 12 FAR Part 13 FAR Part 15 FAR Part 16 FAR Part 19 FAR Part 31 FAR Part 32 FAR Part 33 FAR Part 36 FAR Part 37 FAR Part 42 FAR Part 43 FAR Part 45 FAR Part 46 FAR Part 49 FAR Part 52 FAR Part 8 FARA(Federal Acquisition Reform Act, 1996)FASA(Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, 1994)FedRAMP(Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program)FIPS 140-2 FIPS 199 FISMA(Federal Information Security Modernization Act)FITARA(Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, 2014)Gift Rules HIPAA(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)Hspd-12 Inflation Reduction Act Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ITAR(International Traffic in Arms Regulations)Made in America Mandatory Disclosure Rule Miller Act NDAA(National Defense Authorization Act)NISPOM(National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual)NIST(National Institute of Standards and Technology)NIST SP 800-171 NIST SP 800-53 Post-Employment Restrictions Procurement Integrity Act Revolving Door Section 508 Section 804 Section 889 Service Contract Act TINA(Truth in Negotiations Act)Trade Agreements Act Truth in Negotiations Uniform Guidance Walsh-Healey Act Whistleblower Protection

Agency(71 terms)

Air Force ARMY ASBCA(Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals)CBCA(Civilian Board of Contract Appeals)CBO(Congressional Budget Office)CBP(Customs and Border Protection)CDC(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)CENSUS CIGIE(Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency)CISA(Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)CMS(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)Coast Guard COFC(Court of Federal Claims)COMMERCE DARPA(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)DAU(Defense Acquisition University)DCAA(Defense Contract Audit Agency)DCMA(Defense Contract Management Agency)DCSA(Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency)DHS(Department of Homeland Security)DISA(Defense Information Systems Agency)DLA(Defense Logistics Agency)DoD(Department of Defense)DOE(Department of Energy)DOI(Department of the Interior)DOJ(Department of Justice)DOL(Department of Labor)DOS(Department of State)DOT(Department of Transportation)DTRA(Defense Threat Reduction Agency)Education EPA(Environmental Protection Agency)FAA(Federal Aviation Administration)FAI(Federal Acquisition Institute)FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation)FDA(Food and Drug Administration)FEMA(Federal Emergency Management Agency)FHWA(Federal Highway Administration)GAO(Government Accountability Office)GSA(General Services Administration)GSA(General Services Administration)HHS(Department of Health and Human Services)HUD(Department of Housing and Urban Development)ICE(Immigration and Customs Enforcement)IRS(Internal Revenue Service)MARINES MDA(Missile Defense Agency)NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)NAVFAC(Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command)NAVY NGA(National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)NIH(National Institutes of Health)NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)NRO(National Reconnaissance Office)NSA(National Security Agency)ODNI(Office of the Director of National Intelligence)OFPP(Office of Federal Procurement Policy)OMB(Office of Management and Budget)OPM(Office of Personnel Management)PEO(Program Executive Officer)SBA(Small Business Administration)SBA(Small Business Administration)SOCOM(U.S. Special Operations Command)Space Force TREASURY TSA(Transportation Security Administration)USACE(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)USAID(U.S. Agency for International Development)USDA(Department of Agriculture)VA(Department of Veterans Affairs)VHA(Veterans Health Administration)

Contract Type(62 terms)

8(a) STARS III Alliant 2 Alliant 3 BIC(Best-in-Class)BOA(Basic Ordering Agreement)BPA(Blanket Purchase Agreement)BPA(Blanket Purchase Agreement)Bridge Contract Category Management CIO-SP3 CIO-SP4 CIO-SP4 CLIN(Contract Line Item Number)Contract Contract Vehicle Cost Plus Award Fee Cost Plus Fixed Fee Cost Plus Incentive Fee Cost Reimbursement CPAF(Cost Plus Award Fee)CPFF(Cost Plus Fixed Fee)CPIF(Cost Plus Incentive Fee)CTA(Contractor Team Arrangement)Delivery Order EAGLE II(Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading-Edge Solutions)EIS(Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions)ENCORE III FFP(Firm Fixed Price)Firm Fixed Price FPI(Fixed Price Incentive)FSS(Federal Supply Schedule)GSA MAS(Multiple Award Schedule)GSA Schedule(General Services Administration Schedule)GWAC(Government-Wide Acquisition Contract)GWAC(Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts)IDIQ(Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity)Idiq Ceiling ITES(Information Technology Enterprise Solutions)ITES-SW2 Labor Hour Letter Contract LOGCAP(Logistics Civil Augmentation Program)MAC(Multiple Award Contract)MAS(Multiple Award Schedule)NITAAC OASIS(One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services)PACTS III(Professional, Administrative, and Clerical Testing Services)Performance Based Contract(Performance-Based Contract)POLARIS Pool SeaPort NxG(Next Generation)Set-Aside(Small Business Set-Aside)SEWP(Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement)SEWP VI SIN(Special Item Number)Sole Source T&M(Time and Materials)T4NG Task Order Time and Materials Undefinitized Contract Action VETS 2

Status(15 terms)

Affiliation Rules Alternative Dispute Resolution Clearance Requirement Conflict of Interest Excluded Parties(Excluded Parties List System)Final Decision H-1b Visa OCI(Organizational Conflict of Interest)Ostensible Subcontractor Rule PCI(Personal Conflict of Interest)Personal Services Contract Sca Wage Determination(Service Contract Act)Security Classification Small Business Set-Aside Suspension and Debarment

Data Source(11 terms)

CPARS(Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System)ESRS FAPIIS(Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System)FPDS(Federal Procurement Data System)Grants.gov Gsa Advantage(gsaadvantage.gov)Gsa Ebuy(GSA eBuy is a request for quotation)PPIRS(Past Performance Information Retrieval System)SAM Registration (Grants)SPRS(Supplier Performance Risk System)USAspending(USAspending.gov)

Acronym(8 terms)

CAGE(Commercial and Government Entity Code)CO(Contracting Officer)COR(Contracting Officer's Representative)DUNS(Data Universal Numbering System)NAICS(North American Industry Classification System)PSC(Product Service Code)SAM.gov(System for Award Management)UEI(Unique Entity Identifier)

Glossary terms are derived from official sources: FAR (acquisition.gov), DAU Glossary, SAM.gov, and the U.S. Census NAICS taxonomy. Every term page links back to live records on SAM.gov + USAspending so you can see the concept used in real procurement.

Glossary last reviewed 2026-06-06. Definitions updated as FAR amendments and SBA rule changes publish.

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