Glossary

Federal Procurement & Regulations

The rules and mechanisms that govern how the federal government buys: the Federal Acquisition Regulation and its defense supplement, evaluation approaches like best value and lowest price technically acceptable, and processes like protests, past performance reporting, and organizational conflict of interest reviews. Written for compliance-minded proposal and contracts professionals navigating the regulatory side of a bid.

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Acquisition Planning
AI Fundamentals & AI for Proposals
Capture & Business Development
Contract Administration
Contract Types & Pricing
Contract Vehicles
Federal Agencies
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Personnel & Roles
Professional Associations
Proposal Management
Security & Compliance
Shipley Proposal Process
Small Business Programs
Solicitations
Best Value
Source selection evaluating technical merit, past performance, and innovation beyond just price.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Competition in Contracting Act
Legislation requiring full and open competition in procurement.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System
Government system for documenting contractor performance evaluations.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Debarment
Action excluding a contractor from government contracting for a specified period.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
DoD supplement to the FAR with additional defense-specific acquisition regulations.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Federal Acquisition Regulation
Principal set of rules governing how executive branch agencies acquire goods and services.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Federal Procurement Data System
Central database for government contracting transactions.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Freedom of Information Act
Provides public access to federal agency records upon request.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Full and Open Competition
Acquisition where all size companies are eligible to bid.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Government Accountability Office
Independent agency that audits federal programs and adjudicates bid protests.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Lowest Price Technically Acceptable
Award goes to the lowest-priced proposal meeting minimum technical requirements.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Market Research
Government research to assess whether a procurement can be performed by small businesses.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
National Stock Number
A 13-digit number the federal government assigns to a specific, recurringly procured supply item so it can be uniquely identified and reordered across the supply chain.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
North American Industry Classification System
Numbering system classifying work for federal solicitations.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Organizational Conflict of Interest
Exists when a contractor's relationships could bias ground rules or impair objectivity.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Product Service Code
A four-character code identifying what a contract actually buys (a product, service, or R&D effort), distinct from NAICS, which classifies the vendor's industry.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Protest
Formal challenge to an agency's procurement or award decision. Filed at GAO or Court of Federal Claims.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Representations and Certifications
Required Section K of the RFP verifying company status. Updated annually in SAM.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
Source Evaluation Board
Government panel that reviews proposals and recommends award.
Federal Procurement & Regulations
System for Award Management
Government registration portal for federal contractors. Required for all awards.
Federal Procurement & Regulations