Federal glossary · Contract type
A flexible contract type where the government can order varying quantities of services or products over a set period. Good for ongoing needs with uncertain volumes.
A 5-year IDIQ contract with a $50M ceiling
Reference record · Sources: Federal Acquisition Regulation · Verified Jul 2, 2026 · Covers definition, governing source
Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity
Also known as
A flexible contract type where the government can order varying quantities of services or products over a set period. Good for ongoing needs with uncertain volumes.
Meaning in practice
IDIQ describes how the government structures the work, price, and risk.
Where you’ll see it
You will see it in solicitations, CLIN schedules, pricing tables, and award summaries. Example: A 5-year IDIQ contract with a $50M ceiling.
Common confusion
People often confuse a contract type with a vehicle, a task order, or a program name.
What to do next
Check payment timing, scope, and risk allocation before you bid or price the work.
(Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity) is a contract type concept federal contractors and grant writers run into across solicitations, regulations, and award filings
IDIQ describes a specific contract structure that the federal government uses. For example: A 5-year IDIQ contract with a $50M ceiling The contract type controls risk allocation, payment timing, reporting cadence, and how performance is measured — all of which affect whether the work is profitable and whether it fits a contractor's capability profile. Knowing whether a solicitation is structured as a IDIQ versus another vehicle is one of the first signals of how the government expects the work to be executed and what kind of contractor they're trying to attract. Misreading the contract type can mean either over-pricing risk you don't actually carry or under-pricing risk you do. The related terms above name the adjacent vehicles IDIQ most commonly competes with or rolls up under.
Get notified when usage of IDIQ changes in contracts or guidance.
A 5-year IDIQ contract with a $50M ceiling
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