RFPRequest for Proposal - A formal solicitation issued by a government agency inviting contractors to submit proposals for a specific project or service.RFIRequest for Information - A preliminary document issued to gather information from potential contractors before a formal solicitation.RFQRequest for Quotation - A solicitation requesting price quotes for specific goods or services, typically used for simpler procurements.RFxUmbrella term covering RFP, RFI, RFQ and other formal solicitation types.SAM.govSystem for Award Management - The federal website for contractor registration and contract opportunities.NAICSNorth American Industry Classification System - Codes that classify businesses by industry for government contracting purposes.PSCProduct and Service Code - Codes that describe the products and services the government buys.UEIUnique Entity ID - The 12-character identifier SAM.gov assigns to every registered entity.CAGECommercial and Government Entity code - A five-character identifier for contractors doing business with the government.PWINProbability of Win - An estimated likelihood of winning a specific contract opportunity.FARFederal Acquisition Regulation - The primary set of rules governing federal procurement.DFARSDefense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement - Additional acquisition rules for Department of Defense contracts.CPARSContractor Performance Assessment Reporting System - The federal system for documenting contractor performance evaluations.BOEBasis of Estimate - Documentation justifying the estimated costs, labor hours and resources proposed for a contract.SOWStatement of Work - Describes the specific tasks, deliverables and timelines a contractor must fulfill.PWSPerformance Work Statement - An outcome-focused alternative to a SOW that describes required results rather than specific tasks.T&MTime and Materials - A contract type where payment is based on actual labor hours and materials used.FFPFirm Fixed Price - A contract type with a set price for all deliverables, placing cost risk on the contractor.CPFFCost Plus Fixed Fee - A contract where the government reimburses allowable costs and pays a fixed fee on top.CPAFCost Plus Award Fee - A contract with a base fee plus an award fee based on performance evaluation.IDIQIndefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity - A contract for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services during a fixed period.BPABlanket Purchase Agreement - A simplified method for filling repetitive needs for supplies or services.GWACGovernment-Wide Acquisition Contract - A pre-competed contract vehicle available to federal agencies.GSA ScheduleGeneral Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule - Long-term government-wide contracts with commercial firms for products and services.8(a)SBA 8(a) Business Development Program - Helps small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace.HUBZoneHistorically Underutilized Business Zone - An SBA program giving small businesses in qualifying areas preferential access to federal contracts.SDVOSBService-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business - A small business owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans.WOSBWomen-Owned Small Business - A small business at least 51% owned and controlled by women.SBIRSmall Business Innovation Research - A competitive program for small businesses to do federal research and development with commercialization potential.STTRSmall Business Technology Transfer - Like SBIR, but requires formal collaboration with a research institution.Section CDescription/Specifications/Statement of Work - The section of a federal RFP that describes what is being bought.Section LInstructions to Offerors - The section of a federal RFP that describes how to prepare and submit your proposal.Section MEvaluation Factors for Award - The section of a federal RFP that describes how proposals will be evaluated.Compliance matrixA table that maps every instruction and requirement in the solicitation to where the proposal answers it.Pink TeamAn early review of strategy, outline and win themes, before full drafting.Red TeamA review of the full draft as an evaluator would score it - compliance, quality and persuasiveness.Gold TeamAn executive review for final approval of strategy, price and risk.White TeamA final compliance and production check before submission.Quiet periodOnce a solicitation is released, FAR 15.201(f) routes communication with the agency through the contracting officer.DebriefingThe agency's explanation of an award decision to an offeror, governed for FAR Part 15 procurements by FAR 15.505 and 15.506.SLEDState, Local and Education - The market segment of non-federal government procurement.CUIControlled Unclassified Information - Sensitive but unclassified information that must be safeguarded under federal rules.CMMCCybersecurity Maturity Model Certification - The Department of Defense framework for assessing contractors' cybersecurity practices.FedRAMPFederal Risk and Authorization Management Program - A standardized approach to security authorization for cloud products used by federal agencies.FPDSFederal Procurement Data System - The central repository of federal contract award data.USASpendingThe official source of federal spending data.MCPModel Context Protocol - An open standard that lets an AI assistant use tools in other software, such as your ProposalWorkspace account.