Federal glossary · Contract type
SIN (Special Item Number) is a product/service category within the GSA Schedule. Each SIN defines the scope of what a contractor can sell through the schedule. Contractors must be awarded specific SINs.
Example: A 5-year IDIQ with task orders or a GSA Schedule purchase.
Reference record · Sources: Federal Acquisition Regulation · Verified Jul 2, 2026 · Covers definition, governing source
Special Item Number
Also known as
SIN (Special Item Number) is a product/service category within the GSA Schedule. Each SIN defines the scope of what a contractor can sell through the schedule. Contractors must be awarded specific SINs.
(Special Item Number) is a contract type concept federal contractors and grant writers run into across solicitations, regulations, and award filings
SIN describes a specific contract structure that the federal government uses. For example: Example: A 5-year IDIQ with task orders or a GSA Schedule purchase. 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 SIN 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 SIN most commonly competes with or rolls up under.
Example: A 5-year IDIQ with task orders or a GSA Schedule purchase.
Meaning in practice
SIN 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: Example: A 5-year IDIQ with task orders or a GSA Schedule purchase..
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.
No related questions are available yet.
Get notified when usage of SIN changes in contracts or guidance.
Search active federal contracts and solicitations related to SIN on Bureauify.
100M+ government records · 110+ gov/news sources · Sourced from official federal systems
