SAM
System for Award Management — the official federal registration system.
Learn in context
The federal contracting terms you actually need.
A beginner-friendly glossary plus direct links to official registration and acquisition sources.
Official starting points
- SAM.gov entity registration — official registration guidance.
- SBA federal contracting guidance — small-business programs and learning resources.
- Federal Acquisition Regulation — official FAR text.
- USAspending — public federal award information.
Glossary
UEI
Unique Entity Identifier assigned through SAM.gov.
CAGE
Commercial and Government Entity code used in federal contracting.
NAICS
Industry classification used for acquisition and size-standard purposes.
PSC
Product Service Code describing what the government is buying.
RFP
Request for Proposals.
RFQ
Request for Quotations.
IFB
Invitation for Bids.
Sources Sought
A market-research notice, usually not a request for pricing.
Set-Aside
An acquisition reserved for a specified small-business category.
CLIN
Contract Line Item Number used to organize deliverables and pricing.
Contracting Officer
The government official authorized to enter into and administer contracts.
Amendment
An official change to a solicitation before award.
Past Performance
Relevant prior work the government may evaluate.
Firm-Fixed-Price
A contract structure where the agreed price generally does not change based on contractor cost experience.
SCA
The Service Contract Act, now commonly referenced through federal labor-standards clauses.
DBA
Davis-Bacon Act requirements that may apply to covered construction work.
Option Year
An additional performance period the government may choose to exercise.
Prime
The business contracting directly with the government.
Subcontractor
A business performing part of the work for the prime contractor.