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Plain-language definitions of every Acquisition & Contracting term that shows up in government contracting work.
Acquisition Category (ACAT) is the DoD classification system that assigns oversight level and decision authority to defense programs based on cost and strategic importance.
Read definitionThe acquisition lifecycle is the end-to-end process from identifying a government need through contract award, performance, and closeout that governs all federal procurement.
Read definitionAcquisition planning is the process federal agencies use to identify requirements, set timelines, and determine the best approach for procuring goods or services.
Read definitionAn acquisition strategy is an agency's overarching approach for satisfying a requirement, covering contract type, competition method, and procurement timeline decisions.
Read definitionAn amendment to solicitation is an official agency modification to a posted RFP or IFB that changes requirements, extends deadlines, or clarifies terms before proposals are due.
Read definitionThe award decision is the source selection authority's final documented determination selecting the winning proposal and authorizing the contracting officer to execute the government contract.
Read definitionThe best value continuum describes the spectrum of source selection approaches available to federal agencies, ranging from lowest-price-only to full best value tradeoff between quality and price.
Read definitionBest value tradeoff is the source selection method where the government weighs technical merit, past performance, and price together to select the offer representing the greatest overall value.
Read definitionA Broad Agency Announcement is a competitive solicitation used for basic and applied research, inviting innovative proposals on a broad topic area without a detailed scope of work.
Read definitionA combined synopsis and solicitation is a streamlined SAM.gov posting that serves as both the public notice and the formal solicitation in one document for commercial item purchases.
Read definitionA commercial item determination is the contracting officer's documented finding that a product or service qualifies as a commercial item under FAR definitions, enabling simplified acquisition procedures.
Read definitionCOTS items are commercial products sold in substantial quantities to the general public without modification, qualifying for maximum simplified procurement procedures and minimal regulatory burden.
Read definitionCICA is the 1984 law that established full and open competition as the default requirement for federal procurement and created the automatic stay in bid protests at the GAO.
Read definitionCompetitive proposals is the negotiated procurement method where offerors submit technical and price proposals evaluated against multiple criteria, allowing discussions before final award.
Read definitionThe competitive range is the group of offerors whose proposals have a reasonable chance of being selected for award, with whom the government will conduct discussions before requesting final proposals.
Read definitionCongressional notification is a statutory requirement to inform Congress before certain defense contract actions, including major awards, base closures, and program changes, giving legislators time to review or block the action.
Read definitionA CDRL is the DoD-standard form that lists every data deliverable a contractor must submit under a contract, specifying format, frequency, and submission procedures for each item.
Read definitionA debriefing is the government-provided feedback session where unsuccessful offerors learn their proposal's strengths, weaknesses, and the rationale for the award decision.
Read definitionDFARS is the DoD-specific supplement to the FAR that adds defense-unique acquisition rules, clauses, and cybersecurity requirements for all defense contracts.
Read definitionDiscussions are formal exchanges between the government and competitive-range offerors that give contractors the opportunity to revise and improve their proposals before final submission.
Read definitionAn earmark is a congressional directive in an appropriations act that designates funding for a specific project, location, or organization, creating targeted contract opportunities but also restricting agency contracting flexibility.
Read definitionEvaluation criteria are the factors and subfactors disclosed in Section M of an RFP that the government uses to score and compare competing proposals before making an award decision.
Read definitionA presidential directive that shapes federal procurement policy by requiring agencies to impose specific contractor obligations related to wages, labor standards, domestic content, or social policy goals.
Read definitionThe primary rulebook governing how U.S. federal executive agencies buy goods and services.
Read definitionA Final Proposal Revision is the offeror's last proposal submission after discussions, giving contractors the opportunity to address weaknesses, update pricing, and improve their competitive position.
Read definitionFull and open competition requires federal agencies to allow all responsible sources to submit bids or proposals on a contract, maximizing competitive pressure on price and quality.
Read definitionThe federal government fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30, creating predictable procurement cycles that government contractors use to time their capture and proposal activities.
Read definitionAn incumbent vulnerability assessment evaluates whether an existing contract holder is at risk of losing a recompete, helping challengers decide whether to invest in a pursuit and how to position against the incumbent.
Read definitionAn inherently governmental function is a government activity so intimately tied to the public interest that it must be performed by federal employees, contractors cannot perform these functions.
Read definitionAn intent to bundle notice alerts small businesses that an agency plans to combine multiple smaller contracts into one larger contract, which may restrict small business participation.
Read definitionAn Invitation for Bid is the solicitation document used in sealed bidding, where award goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder without negotiation or technical evaluation.
Read definitionA Justification and Approval is the written document agencies must prepare and have approved before awarding a contract without full and open competition, stating the legal basis for the exception.
Read definitionLPTA is a source selection method where the government awards to the lowest-priced offeror whose proposal meets the minimum technical requirements, with no credit for exceeding those requirements.
Read definitionMarket research in government contracting is the agency process of gathering information about available solutions and industry capabilities before issuing a solicitation.
Read definitionThe micro-purchase threshold is the dollar limit below which agencies may buy goods or services without competitive quotes or most FAR requirements, currently set at $15,000 for most purchases.
Read definitionA Notice of Award is the official government communication informing a contractor that their proposal has been selected and that a contract has been executed in their favor.
Read definitionA Notice to Proceed is the government's formal authorization for a contractor to begin work under a contract, establishing the official start date of the performance period.
Read definitionAn OCI exists when a contractor's other work or relationships could impair its objectivity or give it an unfair competitive advantage in a government procurement or performance situation.
Read definitionA Performance Work Statement defines what outcomes a contractor must achieve rather than how to do the work, using measurable performance standards tied to a quality assurance surveillance plan.
Read definitionPipeline value is the total estimated contract value of all active and monitored government contracting opportunities in a company's business development pipeline at a given point in time.
Read definitionA presolicitation notice is an advance public announcement posted on SAM.gov alerting industry that a federal agency intends to issue a solicitation in the near future.
Read definitionPrice realism analysis is the government's evaluation of whether a proposed price is realistically low, ensuring the contractor can actually perform the required work at the offered price.
Read definitionPrice reasonableness is the government's determination that a proposed or offered price is fair, not so high that the government is overpaying or structured to generate excessive profit.
Read definitionThe Procurement Integrity Act prohibits the disclosure of contractor bid or proposal information and source selection information during a competitive procurement, with criminal and civil penalties for violations.
Read definitionAn RFI is a market research tool agencies use to gather technical information, pricing data, and industry input before drafting a solicitation, it is not a commitment to buy.
Read definitionAn RFQ is a simplified solicitation used below the simplified acquisition threshold or against existing contract vehicles, asking vendors for a price quotation rather than a binding offer.
Read definitionSealed bidding is the competitive procurement method where vendors submit firm price bids in sealed envelopes, opened publicly, with award to the lowest responsive responsible bidder.
Read definitionSection L is the RFP section that tells offerors exactly how to structure, format, and submit their proposal, non-compliance with Section L requirements can render a proposal non-responsive.
Read definitionSection M is the RFP section that specifies how the government will score and compare proposals, detailing the evaluation factors, their relative importance, and the award basis.
Read definitionA federal contract awarded without full and open competition because only one contractor can meet the need.
Read definitionA sole source justification letter is a contractor-prepared document explaining why a vendor is uniquely qualified to supply goods or services that justifies a sole-source contract without competitive solicitation.
Read definitionSolicitation provisions and clauses are the standard legal terms, drawn from the FAR and agency supplements, that appear in every federal solicitation and resulting contract.
Read definitionThe Source Selection Authority is the individual with final decision-making power in a competitive procurement, responsible for issuing the written source selection decision and contract award.
Read definitionThe SSEB is the team of government subject-matter experts responsible for evaluating competing proposals against the solicitation's criteria and producing documented ratings for the source selection authority.
Read definitionThe source selection process is the structured government procedure for evaluating competing proposals and selecting the best offer, from initial evaluation through final award decision.
Read definitionA sources sought notice is a market research tool agencies post on SAM.gov to identify capable vendors and determine whether to set aside a procurement for small businesses.
Read definitionA special notice is a SAM.gov posting type used for government announcements, including industry days, award notices, and informational bulletins, that do not fit other notice categories.
Read definitionA Statement of Objectives is a high-level requirements document that describes the government's goals, allowing offerors to propose their own performance work statement and technical approach.
Read definitionA Statement of Work is the section of a government contract defining exactly what the contractor must do, specifying tasks, deliverables, standards, and constraints in precise terms.
Read definitionTechnical evaluation is the government's formal assessment of each offeror's proposed technical approach against the solicitation's requirements and evaluation criteria before source selection.
Read definitionThe Uniform Contract Format is the standardized 13-section structure that federal agencies use for negotiated procurements, ensuring consistent organization across all government RFPs and contracts.
Read definitionAn unsolicited proposal is a written offer submitted to a federal agency on the contractor's own initiative, proposing an innovative idea or unique approach that the government has not specifically requested.
Read definitionA weighted pipeline adjusts raw pipeline value by each opportunity's estimated win probability to produce a more realistic forecast of the expected contract revenue a company will capture.
Read definitionSee how Bidovate turns these government contracting terms into pipeline. Explore the platform or book a 15-minute demo.
