Glossary

Core terms

Term	Definition
Solicitation	A formal request for offers — RFP, RFQ, IFB, or sources sought notice
Award	A contract or grant obligation issued to a selected vendor
Set-aside	Competition limited to eligible small or socioeconomic businesses
NAICS	North American Industry Classification System code describing industry
PSC / FSC	Product and service codes describing what is being purchased
UEI	Unique Entity ID — replaces DUNS for SAM.gov entity identification
Incumbent	Current contract holder, often targeted on recompetes
Recompete	New solicitation to replace an expiring contract

Solicitation types

Type	Meaning
RFP	Request for Proposal — typically best-value, evaluated on factors beyond price
RFQ	Request for Quote — often simpler buys or GSA schedule orders
IFB / ITB	Invitation for Bid — usually lowest-price technically acceptable
Sources Sought	Market research; not always a binding bid request
Presolicitation	Advance notice before the formal solicitation drops

Vehicle	Meaning
IDIQ	Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity — ordered task by task
BPA	Blanket Purchase Agreement — simplified repeat ordering
GWAC	Government-Wide Acquisition Contract — multi-agency IT vehicle
GSA Schedule	Pre-negotiated catalog pricing (Multiple Award Schedule)

Vehicle

Meaning

IDIQ

Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity — ordered task by task

BPA

Blanket Purchase Agreement — simplified repeat ordering

GWAC

Government-Wide Acquisition Contract — multi-agency IT vehicle

GSA Schedule

Pre-negotiated catalog pricing (Multiple Award Schedule)

Labor pricing

Term	Meaning
LCAT	Labor category — named role with education/experience and an hourly rate
Ceiling rate / NTE	Not-to-exceed MAS hourly rate (master contract max, not task-order price)
CALC+	GSA’s Contract-Awarded Labor Category tool for ceiling-rate research
IGCE	Independent Government Cost Estimate
SIN	Special Item Number — GSA Schedule category code

Labor Pricing tool

Benchmark GSA MAS hourly ceiling rates with filters and distribution stats.

50+ GovCon terms with A–Z browse, category filters, and plain-English definitions.

GSA Schedule, GWAC, IDIQ, and BPA explained in depth.