Government contracting glossary

Plain-English definitions of 24 terms, from CAGE codes and UEIs to IDIQs and OTAs.

Terms starting with 0-9

8(a) Business Development Program: SBA program providing federal contract set-asides, management assistance, and financial support to socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses.

CAGE Code (Commercial and Government Entity Code): Unique 5-character government identifier assigned to businesses registered with SAM.gov for federal contracting eligibility and performance tracking.
Capability Statement: One-page marketing document highlighting company capabilities, experience, and competitive advantages for federal contracting opportunities and proposals.
CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification): DoD certification requiring defense contractors to implement cybersecurity practices at 3-5 maturity levels to protect controlled unclassified information.
Contracting Officer: Government official with legal authority to bind the government, award contracts, and make binding commitments on behalf of federal agencies.
COR (Contracting Officer's Representative): Government employee authorized to manage day-to-day contract performance, monitor deliverables, and make decisions within delegated authority on behalf of the Contracting Officer.
CPARS (Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System): Government database recording contractor performance ratings on federal contracts. Ratings directly impact future contract awards, competitive positioning, and pricing.

DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement): DoD supplement to FAR providing specific acquisition rules, security requirements, and regulations for defense contracts and contractors.

FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation): Comprehensive federal contracting rules governing procurement processes, contract types, terms, compliance requirements, and conduct for all federal agencies.

GSA Schedule: General Services Administration pre-negotiated contract allowing federal agencies to purchase goods/services from approved vendors without competitive bidding per order.
GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract): Pre-negotiated government contracts allowing federal agencies to purchase goods/services from approved vendors without competitive bidding on every order.

HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone): Historically Underutilized Business Zone designation providing federal contract set-asides for businesses located in economically distressed areas and employing locals.

IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity): Federal contract vehicle establishing pricing and terms with indefinite contract values and delivery timelines, with actual work ordered through task orders.

NAICS Code: North American Industry Classification System code used to classify business type for federal contracting size standards, set-asides, and capability determination.

OTA (Other Transaction Authority): Federal contracting authority allowing agencies to streamline procurement using alternative methods outside traditional FAR-based contracts for innovation and research.

Past Performance: Government evaluation of contractor's prior federal contract performance used to assess capability, reliability, and suitability for future awards.
Phase III SBIR: Federal contracts for SBIR companies to commercialize Phase I/II technology after proving R&D viability with government funding.

SAM.gov (System for Award Management): Federal government portal where businesses register to become eligible for federal contracts, grants, and payments. Contains UEI, CAGE Code, and payment information.
SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research): Federal grant program funding small business R&D for innovative technology development with Phase I (concept), Phase II (development), and Phase III (commercialization).
SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business): Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business designation providing federal contract set-asides, preferential scoring, and access to VA benefits programs.
Set-Aside Contract: Federal contracts reserved exclusively for certain business categories (small business, women-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone) to increase federal procurement diversity.
Sources Sought Notice: Government announcement requesting information about contractor capabilities before formal solicitation to identify potential sources for federal procurement.

UEI (Unique Entity Identifier): 12-character government identifier assigned through SAM.gov to uniquely identify businesses across all federal systems, replacing legacy DUNS Numbers.

WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business): Women-Owned Small Business designation providing federal contract set-asides and preferential scoring in government contracting opportunities.