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Glossary

Federal Procurement Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the acronyms, regulations, programs, and contract vehicles that shape U.S. federal procurement. Updated continuously.

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8(a) Business Development Program
SBA program that helps socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts.

C

CAGE Code
Commercial and Government Entity code — a five-character identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency to uniquely identify suppliers.
Capability Statement
A one-to-two-page marketing document that summarizes a contractor's core competencies, past performance, and differentiators for federal buyers.
CMMC
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification — DoD's tiered cybersecurity verification program for the defense industrial base.
Compliance Matrix
A spreadsheet that cross-references every RFP requirement to the proposal section and page where it is addressed.

D

DFARS
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement — DoD-specific additions to the FAR.

F

FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation)
The primary regulation governing federal executive-agency purchasing — codified at 48 CFR Chapter 1.

G

GSA Schedule
Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) — a pre-negotiated, long-term government-wide contract vehicle administered by GSA.

H

HUBZone
Historically Underutilized Business Zone — SBA program for small businesses located in economically distressed areas.

I

IDIQ
Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity — a multi-award contract that establishes terms under which agencies issue task or delivery orders.

N

NAICS Code
North American Industry Classification System code — a six-digit number that classifies businesses by industry.

P

R

RFP (Request for Proposal)
A formal solicitation inviting contractors to submit detailed technical, management, and price proposals.

S

U

Unique Entity ID (UEI)
A 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to every entity registered in SAM.gov — replaced DUNS in April 2022.

W

WOSB / EDWOSB
Women-Owned Small Business / Economically Disadvantaged WOSB — SBA programs setting aside contracts for women-owned firms.

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