Federal contracting, defined.
One precise sentence per term, no preamble. If a definition here is wrong or fuzzy, tell us and we will fix it.
Bid/no-bid
The decision to pursue a solicitation or decline it, made before proposal work begins, using the solicitation, the award history and your own eligibility and fit.
CAGE code
A five-character Commercial and Government Entity code identifying a contractor at a specific location, assigned during SAM.gov registration.
Capability statement
A one-page summary of a contractor’s competencies, differentiators, past performance and company data, used to answer market research and introduce a firm to a buying office.
Compliance matrix
A table mapping every requirement in a solicitation to the exact location in the proposal where it is answered.
Contracting officer
The government official with authority to enter into, administer and terminate contracts, and the only person who can bind the government.
CPARS
The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, the federal record of how a contractor performed on past contracts, used by evaluators assessing past performance.
DSBS
The SBA Dynamic Small Business Search, the federal directory of small businesses and their certifications, used to find teaming partners holding a given set-aside.
FAR 52.215-1
The Federal Acquisition Regulation provision governing instructions to offerors, including the treatment of late proposals, which are generally not considered.
IDIQ
An indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract vehicle under which individual task orders are competed among holders.
LPTA
Lowest price technically acceptable: an evaluation method awarding to the cheapest offer that meets the stated requirements, with no credit for exceeding them.
NAICS code
A six-digit North American Industry Classification System code identifying an industry, used to scope solicitations and small-business size standards.
Past performance
Evidence of relevant prior work — contract, agency, value, dates and outcome — cited in a proposal and often scored as an evaluation factor.
Price to win
The estimated price a contractor must offer to be competitive on a specific opportunity, derived from prior award prices, escalation and the competitive set.
PWIN
Probability of win: an estimate of the likelihood of being awarded a specific contract if the opportunity is pursued.
PWS
A performance work statement: the part of a solicitation describing the required outcomes and standards rather than prescribing how the work is done.
Recompete
A contract coming up for re-award as it approaches the end of its period of performance, typically with the incumbent holding an advantage.
RFI
A request for information: a notice seeking input on approach, feasibility or cost before a requirement is finalised.
RFP
A request for proposals: a solicitation seeking priced technical proposals, usually evaluated on more than price alone.
RFQ
A request for quotations: a solicitation, often for simplified acquisitions, seeking quotes against a defined requirement.
Section L
The part of a federal solicitation containing instructions to offerors: how, where, in what format and by when a proposal must be submitted.
Section M
The part of a federal solicitation stating the evaluation factors and their relative importance — how the proposal will be scored.
Set-aside
A procurement reserved for a category of business, such as small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB or WOSB, excluding firms outside that category.
Sources sought notice
A market research notice posted before a solicitation to identify capable businesses, often to determine whether a requirement can be set aside for small business.
UEI
The Unique Entity ID, the federal identifier issued through SAM.gov that replaced the DUNS number for federal awards in 2022.
Wage determination
A Department of Labor determination of minimum wages and fringe benefits for service or construction work in a locality, binding on the contract price.
More definitions are added as the Learn pages expand. Terms with a full page: bid/no-bid, PWIN, Sections L and M, compliance matrix, capability statement, sources sought.
Or see the terms doing actual work on a solicitation.
$350/month, 10 proposal generations. The trial reads, scores and drafts everything — submitting and exporting are the paid part.