Glossary
Plain definitions of the terms you meet in solicitations. Each entry states what a term means — it is not guidance — with a link to an official source.
Registration & identifiers
- SAMSystem for Award Management
- The US government's central registration system for organizations that want to do business with federal agencies. An active SAM.gov registration is generally required to bid or receive an award. Registration is free.
- SAM.gov ↗
- UEIUnique Entity ID
- A 12-character identifier assigned by SAM.gov to each registered entity. It replaced the DUNS number in 2022.
- GSA ↗
- CAGE CodeCommercial and Government Entity Code
- A five-character code identifying a business or facility located in the United States. Assigned automatically during SAM registration.
- DLA CAGE Program ↗
Classification & data
- NAICSNorth American Industry Classification System
- A six-digit code classifying an industry. Each solicitation is assigned one primary NAICS code, and US small-business size standards are set per code.
- Census NAICS ↗
- PSC / FSCProduct and Service Code / Federal Supply Classification
- A four-character code for the product or service being bought. NAICS describes the contractor's industry; PSC describes what is being acquired.
- PSC Manual (acquisition.gov) ↗
- USAspending / FPDSFederal Procurement Data System
- The public record of federal contract data. It shows past awardees, amounts, place of performance, and more. Hashike's comparable-award figures come from it.
- USAspending.gov ↗
Solicitations & bidding
- Set-aside
- A restriction limiting competition to a defined category of business (small business, women-owned, veteran-owned, etc.). US small-business set-asides are generally limited to US small businesses.
- FAR Part 19 ↗
- Full and open competition
- A procurement open to all responsible sources, with no category-based restriction on who may bid.
- FAR Part 6 ↗
- Sources Sought
- A market-research notice. A contracting officer issues it to learn whether capable sources exist. It is not a request for bids.
- FAR 10.001 ↗
- RFI / RFP / RFQRequest for Information / Proposals / Quotation
- RFI seeks information (market research); RFP seeks proposals (negotiated procurement); RFQ seeks quotes (common in simplified acquisitions).
- FAR Part 15 ↗
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- A streamlined notice that combines the synopsis and the solicitation into one posting. Common for commercial products and services.
- FAR 12.603 ↗
- Representations and CertificationsReps & Certs
- Statements an offeror makes about its status and legal compliance. Most are completed annually in SAM, with some completed per solicitation.
- FAR Subpart 4.12 ↗
- Presolicitation
- An advance notice that a solicitation is coming, telling potential offerors what the agency plans to buy and roughly when. It does not accept offers.
- FAR 5.204 ↗
Rules & requirements
- FARFederal Acquisition Regulation
- The primary rulebook for federal acquisition (Title 48 CFR, Chapter 1). It applies to all executive agencies.
- acquisition.gov FAR ↗
- DFARSDefense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
- The Department of Defense's supplement to the FAR. It applies to defense acquisitions.
- acquisition.gov DFARS ↗
- NIST SP 800-171
- Security requirements for non-federal systems that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Referenced in defense contracts via DFARS 252.204-7012 and related clauses.
- NIST SP 800-171 ↗
- CMMCCybersecurity Maturity Model Certification
- The Department of Defense's cybersecurity certification framework. Covered contracts require achieving and verifying a specified level.
- DoD CIO CMMC ↗
Contract terms
- SATSimplified Acquisition Threshold
- The dollar ceiling below which agencies may use simplified procedures (generally $350,000 as of the October 1, 2025 threshold update, with variations). Acquisitions below it carry lighter process.
- FAR 2.101 ↗
- IDIQIndefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity
- An umbrella contract for an indefinite quantity over a set period. Specific work is ordered through task or delivery orders.
- FAR 16.504 ↗
- Prime / Subcontractor
- The prime holds the contract directly with the government. A subcontractor performs part of the work under the prime. Subcontracting is one route into federal work.
- SBA subcontracting ↗
- Past Performance / CPARSContractor Performance Assessment Reporting System
- A contractor's track record. The government records evaluations in CPARS and considers them in future source selections. Rules address how offerors with no record are treated.
- CPARS ↗
- Debriefing
- The explanation the government gives an offeror about the outcome of a source selection. Its requirements and deadlines are set by regulation.
- FAR 15.506 ↗
- Protest
- A challenge to a procurement action. It can be filed with the agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), or the Court of Federal Claims. Deadlines are short.
- GAO bid protests ↗
- FOB DestinationFree On Board Destination
- A delivery term under which the seller bears the cost and risk of transport to the named destination.
- FAR 47.303-6 ↗
- Award Notice
- A notice a contracting officer posts on SAM.gov after signing a contract, naming the awardee, the award number and the amount. Not every award gets one.
- FAR 5.301 ↗
- WAWF / PIEEWide Area Workflow / Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment
- The Department of Defense's invoicing and acceptance system. Invoices under a contract are normally submitted electronically through PIEE/WAWF.
- PIEE ↗
Japan-specific
- NCAGE CodeNATO Commercial and Government Entity Code
- The identifier for entities located outside the United States. A non-US company must obtain one before completing SAM registration. For Japan and other non-NATO countries it is issued by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), free of charge.
- NSPA NCAGE request ↗
- SOFAStatus of Forces Agreement
- The US–Japan Status of Forces Agreement. It affects the status of US forces in Japan and related procurement, tax, and labor treatment. Some solicitations involve SOFA-based tax relief or procedures.
- MOFA (SOFA text) ↗
- MSRA / ABRMaster Ship Repair Agreement / Agreement for Boat Repair
- A framework agreement between the US Navy and firms that repair its ships or boats. Japan ship-sustainment solicitations may require holding a valid MSRA/ABR, or agreeing to execute one before award.
- NAVSEA SUPSHIP ↗
Definitions are general explanations; how a term applies to a specific opportunity depends on the wording of the official solicitation and the relevant regulation. This page is informational only, not legal advice.