8(a) Business Development Program
An SBA program that reserves certain federal contracts for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Participation lasts up to nine years.
Amendment
An official change to a solicitation before bids are due — revising the scope, requirements, dates, or answering vendor questions. Bidders usually must acknowledge each amendment.
Award Notice
A public notice announcing who won a contract and, often, the amount. It marks the end of a procurement's competitive phase.
Best Value
An evaluation approach where the government may pay more for a higher-quality or lower-risk proposal, weighing price against technical merit and past performance — the opposite of a strict low-bid award.
Bid Bond
A guarantee (often 5–10% of the bid) that a bidder will honor its bid and sign the contract if selected. Common on construction solicitations.
BPA (Blanket Purchase Agreement)
A simplified arrangement for recurring purchases from a supplier at pre-negotiated terms, so agencies can order repeatedly without a new contract each time.
CAGE Code
The Commercial and Government Entity code — a five-character ID assigned to your business during SAM.gov registration, used to identify you across federal systems.
Capability Statement
A one-page marketing document summarizing what your company does, your differentiators, past performance, and codes (NAICS, UEI, CAGE) — the government's version of a resume.
CLIN (Contract Line Item Number)
A numbered line in a contract or solicitation identifying a specific deliverable, quantity, and price. Proposals are often priced CLIN by CLIN.
Contracting Officer (CO)
The government official with legal authority to enter into, administer, and terminate contracts on behalf of the agency.
COR (Contracting Officer's Representative)
A government employee delegated by the CO to monitor a contractor's technical performance day to day, but without authority to change the contract.
Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP)
A contract type where the price is set and does not change regardless of the contractor's actual costs — the contractor bears the risk of cost overruns.
FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation)
The primary rulebook governing how U.S. federal agencies buy goods and services. Solicitations cite FAR clauses that become part of the contract.
Full and Open Competition
A procurement open to any qualified vendor, not restricted to a set-aside category or a single source.
GSA Schedule (MAS)
The GSA Multiple Award Schedule — long-term, government-wide contracts with commercial vendors at pre-negotiated pricing, so agencies can buy directly off the schedule.
GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract)
A pre-competed, multiple-award IT contract vehicle that any federal agency can order from (e.g., Alliant, 8(a) STARS).
HUBZone
An SBA program that gives contracting preferences to small businesses located in and employing people from Historically Underutilized Business Zones.
IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity)
A contract that sets terms and a ceiling but not exact quantities; the government issues task or delivery orders against it over time.
IFB (Invitation for Bid)
A solicitation used for sealed bidding, awarded to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder — typically for well-defined goods or construction where price is the deciding factor.
LPTA (Lowest Price Technically Acceptable)
An evaluation method that awards to the cheapest proposal that meets all the minimum technical requirements — no extra credit for exceeding them.
Micro-purchase
A very small purchase (under the micro-purchase threshold) that agencies can make with minimal competition, often on a government purchase card.
Modification
A change to a contract after award — adjusting scope, funding, period of performance, or terms. Distinct from an amendment, which changes a solicitation before award.
NAICS Code
A North American Industry Classification System code that categorizes a business by industry. It drives which small-business size standard and set-asides apply to a contract.
Past Performance
Your track record on previous contracts — quality, timeliness, and cost control. It is a common, heavily weighted evaluation factor.
Performance Bond
A surety guarantee that the contractor will complete the work as specified; if they default, the surety covers the cost to finish.
Period of Performance
The window during which the contractor must deliver the goods or services — the contract's start and end dates, including any option periods.
Place of Performance
Where the work will actually be done or delivered. It is how many state and local opportunities are geographically targeted.
Presolicitation
An early public notice that a solicitation is coming, giving vendors time to prepare before the formal RFP or IFB is released.
Prime Contractor
The company that holds the contract directly with the government and is responsible for delivery — it may hire subcontractors to perform parts of the work.
Protest
A formal challenge to how a solicitation was run or a contract awarded, filed with the agency, GAO, or the courts by an interested party.
PSC (Product Service Code)
A federal code classifying what is being bought (a product or a service), complementing the NAICS code that classifies the industry.
PWS (Performance Work Statement)
A statement of work written in terms of measurable outcomes and standards rather than prescriptive steps, letting the contractor decide how to meet them.
RFI (Request for Information)
A market-research request where the government asks vendors for information or capabilities, with no award — used to shape a future solicitation.
RFP (Request for Proposal)
A solicitation for complex needs where vendors submit technical and price proposals, evaluated on best value rather than price alone.
RFQ (Request for Quotation)
A request for pricing on defined goods or services, typically for simpler or smaller buys; a quote is an offer the government may accept.
SAM.gov (System for Award Management)
The official U.S. government site where businesses register to do federal business and where federal contract opportunities and awards are posted.
Set-aside
A contract reserved for a specific category of business — most commonly small businesses or subcategories like WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone, or 8(a).
Simplified Acquisition (SAP)
Streamlined procedures for purchases below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, with less paperwork and faster award than full FAR procedures.
Sole Source
An award made to a single vendor without competition, justified when only one source can meet the need (or under certain set-aside authorities).
Sources Sought
A notice asking which businesses can perform a requirement, used for market research — often to decide whether to set the contract aside for small business.
SOW (Statement of Work)
The section of a solicitation that defines the tasks, deliverables, and requirements the contractor must fulfill.
Subcontractor
A company hired by the prime contractor to perform part of the work; subcontractors do not hold the contract with the government directly.
Task Order
An individual order for work issued under an IDIQ or other multiple-award contract, specifying the scope, price, and schedule for that piece.
Teaming Agreement
An arrangement where a prime and one or more other firms agree to pursue and perform a contract together, defining roles and work share.
Time and Materials (T&M)
A contract type that pays for labor at fixed hourly rates plus the cost of materials — used when the scope can't be estimated precisely up front.
UEI (Unique Entity Identifier)
The 12-character ID assigned to your business in SAM.gov, which replaced the DUNS number in 2022 as the government's standard entity identifier.