FY

Definition

FY (Fiscal Year) — the federal fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30. FY2026 = Oct 1 2025 - Sep 30 2026.

Where this matters in federal contracting

FY is a measurement used in federal contract evaluation, source selection, oversight, or performance management. Understanding FY matters because evaluators use metrics like it to compare proposals quantitatively, score past performance, set award-fee outcomes, and decide who gets the next option year. Contractors who track how FY is calculated — and what target values look like in their NAICS or service area — write proposals that are concrete and defensible instead of generic and easily dismissed. FY also has implications for contract administration: getting the calculation methodology wrong post-award is a common source of disputes and contracting-officer modifications. Pair FY with the related metrics above to see how the federal government composes evaluation criteria into source-selection narratives.

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