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Emerging Trends

Plain-language definitions of every Emerging Trends term that shows up in government contracting work.


Emerging TrendsBIC

Best-in-Class Contract (BIC)

A Best-in-Class contract is an OMB-designated government-wide acquisition vehicle that meets the highest standards for competitive pricing, data transparency, and supplier management, representing the preferred destination for federal category spending.

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Emerging TrendsCSO

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

A Commercial Solutions Opening is an alternative acquisition method authorized by NDAA that allows DoD agencies to solicit and evaluate innovative commercial solutions using a streamlined, prototype-friendly process outside traditional FAR procedures.

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Emerging Trends

Digital Procurement

Digital procurement is the transformation of federal acquisition processes through electronic systems, e-commerce platforms, automated workflows, and data analytics to reduce cycle times and improve transparency.

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Emerging Trends

Government Marketplace

A government marketplace is a digital platform that enables federal agencies to browse, compare, and purchase commercial products and services from pre-vetted vendors using streamlined ordering similar to consumer e-commerce.

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Emerging TrendsLPTA

Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)

Lowest Price Technically Acceptable is a source selection method that awards a contract to the lowest-priced offer that meets the minimum technical acceptability requirements, without tradeoffs for superior technical merit.

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Emerging Trends

Pitch Day

A Pitch Day is a rapid acquisition event where agencies evaluate vendor demonstrations in person over one to two days and award contracts on the spot, compressing the traditional procurement cycle from months to hours.

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Emerging TrendsPaaS

Procurement as a Service (PaaS)

Procurement as a Service is an emerging model where agencies outsource procurement operations, sourcing strategy, and contracting support functions to a managed service provider that delivers acquisition outcomes rather than just contract staff.

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Emerging TrendsSAP

Simplified Acquisition Procedures

Simplified Acquisition Procedures are streamlined FAR Part 13 methods for federal purchases below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold that reduce administrative burden, competition requirements, and documentation needs.

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Emerging TrendsSAT

Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT)

The Simplified Acquisition Threshold is the $250,000 dollar limit below which federal agencies may use streamlined FAR Part 13 procurement procedures instead of full competitive acquisition requirements.

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Emerging TrendsSUM

Spend Under Management (SUM)

Spend Under Management is the percentage of an organization's total procurement spending that flows through formally managed contracts with defined pricing, performance standards, and compliance requirements.

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Emerging Trends

Strategic Sourcing

Strategic sourcing is the structured process of consolidating and optimizing an organization's purchasing across common categories to reduce costs, improve supplier performance, and minimize procurement risk.

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