Reference

The GovCon terms and clauses, explained plainly.

A curated glossary and clause library for defense and government contracting — each entry sourced from the governing document, with what it actually means for a contractor. No spin, no filler.

Cybersecurity & CMMC

C3PAO

A CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) is a company authorized to conduct CMMC Level 2 certification assessments of defense contractors.

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The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is the Department of Defense's program for verifying that defense contractors protect federal contract information and controlled unclassified information.

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CUI

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is government-created or -owned information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls under law, regulation, or government-wide policy — but is not classified.

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Federal Contract Information (FCI)

Federal Contract Information (FCI) is information provided by or generated for the government under a contract that is not intended for public release.

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NIST SP 800-171

NIST SP 800-171 is the National Institute of Standards and Technology publication defining the security requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on nonfederal systems.

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POA&M

A Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) is a document listing a contractor's unmet security requirements, the corrective actions planned for each, and the dates they will be completed.

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Section 889

Section 889 of the FY2019 NDAA bars the government from buying, or contracting with entities that use, certain covered telecommunications and video-surveillance equipment or services from named vendors.

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SPRS

The Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) is the Department of Defense system of record where contractors post their NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment scores and where DoD stores supplier performance and risk data.

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System Security Plan (SSP)

A System Security Plan (SSP) is the document describing a contractor's information system boundary and how it meets each required security control.

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Contract vehicles & pricing

Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)

A Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is a simplified arrangement a buyer sets up to fill recurring needs from a supplier at agreed terms, then places orders (calls) against it as needs arise — avoiding a new procurement each time.

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Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)

A commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item — the FAR's defined term — is a commercial product sold in substantial quantities in the marketplace and offered to the government without modification.

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Cost-plus contract

A cost-plus (cost-reimbursement) contract pays a contractor's allowable incurred costs plus a fee.

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FAR Part 12

FAR Part 12 governs how the government buys commercial products and services, using streamlined, commercial-like terms rather than the full clause load of other acquisitions.

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Firm-fixed-price contract

A firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract sets a single price that does not change regardless of the contractor's actual cost.

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GSA Schedule

A GSA Schedule (Multiple Award Schedule) is a long-term, government-wide contract that lets federal buyers order commercial products and services at pre-negotiated prices and terms.

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GWAC

A Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) is a pre-competed, multiple-award IDIQ vehicle for information-technology products and services that agencies across the government can order from.

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IDIQ

An Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services over a fixed period, ordered through individual task or delivery orders.

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Novation agreement

A novation agreement is the government's formal recognition that a contract has been transferred from one company to another — for example after an asset sale or merger.

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Other Transaction Authority (OTA)

Other Transaction Authority (OTA) lets certain agencies enter agreements that are not standard FAR contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements.

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Period of performance

The period of performance is the window during which a contractor must complete the work under a contract or order.

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SBIR

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program awards federal R&D funding to small businesses in phases, helping them develop and commercialize innovative technology.

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Teaming agreement

A teaming agreement is an arrangement in which companies agree to pursue a specific opportunity together — typically a prime and its intended subcontractors, or a joint venture — defining roles and workshare before the proposal is submitted.

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Time-and-materials contract

A time-and-materials (T&M) contract pays fixed hourly labor rates plus the cost of materials.

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Secure facilities & shielding

Anechoic chamber

An anechoic chamber is a room lined with absorptive material to eliminate reflections of sound or electromagnetic waves, creating a reflection-free space for precise testing.

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Continuous vetting

Continuous vetting is the ongoing, automated monitoring of a cleared individual's background between traditional periodic reinvestigations.

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DD Form 254

DD Form 254 (Contract Security Classification Specification) is the document that conveys security requirements and classification guidance from the government to a cleared contractor on a classified contract.

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EMI shielding

EMI shielding blocks or attenuates electromagnetic fields to stop interference between systems, or to keep signals from leaking out of a space.

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Facility Clearance (FCL)

A Facility Clearance (FCL) is an administrative determination that a company is eligible to access classified information at a given level.

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Faraday cage

A Faraday cage is an enclosure of conductive material that blocks external static and non-static electric fields and attenuates radio-frequency energy.

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FOCI

Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) describes when a foreign interest can affect a company's management or operations enough to risk unauthorized access to classified information.

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Half-value layer (HVL)

The half-value layer (HVL) is the thickness of a specified material that attenuates radiation to half its original intensity.

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ICD 705

ICD 705 is the Intelligence Community Directive that sets uniform physical and technical security standards for building and accrediting Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs).

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Lead shielding

Lead shielding uses lead's high density to attenuate X-rays and gamma radiation.

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MRI shielding

MRI shielding combines RF shielding — a Faraday enclosure around the scanner room — with magnetic shielding that contains the magnet's field.

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NISPOM

The NISPOM is the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual — codified as 32 CFR Part 117 — that sets the requirements cleared contractors must follow to protect classified information.

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Radiation shielding

Radiation shielding uses dense materials — commonly lead or concrete — to attenuate ionizing radiation such as X-rays and gamma rays.

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RF shielding

RF shielding attenuates radio-frequency energy passing into or out of a space, using conductive barriers built as a continuous enclosure.

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SCI

Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) is classified information concerning intelligence sources, methods, or analytical processes that is handled within formal access-control systems.

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SCIF

A Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) is an accredited, access-controlled area — a room or building — where Sensitive Compartmented Information can be stored, discussed, and processed.

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Security clearance levels

United States security clearances come in three levels — Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret — reflecting the damage unauthorized disclosure could cause.

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SF-86

The SF-86 (Questionnaire for National Security Positions) is the form an individual completes to apply for a security clearance.

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Special Access Program (SAP)

A Special Access Program (SAP) imposes access and handling controls beyond those normally required for a given classification level.

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TEMPEST

TEMPEST refers to the study and control of compromising electromagnetic emanations — the unintended signals leaking from electronic equipment that could reveal the information it processes.

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Contracting basics & process

Bid protest

A bid protest is a formal challenge to a government procurement action — the terms of a solicitation or an award decision — filed by an interested party.

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Buy American Act

The Buy American Act is a domestic-preference law requiring the government to favor domestic end products and construction materials in its purchases.

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Certificate of Need (CON)

A Certificate of Need (CON) is a state approval a health-care provider must obtain before building a facility, adding a major service, or making a large capital expenditure.

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DFARS

The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) is the Department of Defense's addition to the FAR.

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FAR

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the primary rulebook governing how executive-branch agencies buy goods and services.

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FPDS

The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) is the government's official database of federal contract actions.

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LPTA

Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) is a source-selection method that awards to the lowest-priced offer meeting stated acceptability criteria.

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MILCON

MILCON (Military Construction) is the appropriation that funds the construction of military facilities.

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Prime contractor

A prime contractor is the company that holds the contract directly with the government and is responsible for delivering the whole requirement.

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PSC code

A Product and Service Code (PSC) classifies what the government bought in a contract action — the product, service, or R&D.

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RFP

In federal contracting, a Request for Proposal (RFP) is a solicitation asking vendors to propose how they would meet a requirement and at what price.

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Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT)

The Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) is a dollar level below which agencies may use streamlined simplified acquisition procedures instead of full negotiated procurement.

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Sole-source contract

A sole-source contract is awarded to a single company without full and open competition, when only one source can meet the need or a statutory exception applies.

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Sources sought

A sources sought notice is a market-research posting in which an agency asks whether capable vendors — often small businesses — exist for an upcoming requirement.

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TDLR

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses and regulates many occupations and facilities in Texas.

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Trade Agreements Act (TAA)

The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) allows the government to waive Buy American restrictions and acquire products from designated trade-agreement countries above certain dollar thresholds.

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USASpending

USASpending.gov is the official public website for federal spending data, covering both contracts and financial assistance.

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Registration & identifiers

CAGE code

A CAGE code is a five-character Commercial and Government Entity identifier assigned to a company at a specific location.

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CPARS

CPARS is the federal system of record for contractor past-performance evaluations.

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DCSA

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is the U.S.

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SAM registration

SAM registration is the process of registering an entity in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), the official U.S.

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UEI

The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is the 12-character alphanumeric ID that identifies an organization in SAM.gov for federal awards.

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Set-asides & socioeconomic

8(a) certification

8(a) certification admits a small business into the SBA's 8(a) Business Development program for firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

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HUBZone

The HUBZone program helps small businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones win federal contracts.

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SDVOSB

A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) is a small business owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans.

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Set-aside contracts

A set-aside contract is a federal contract reserved for competition among a specific category of small business — such as small businesses generally, or 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, or HUBZone firms.

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WOSB certification

WOSB certification identifies a Women-Owned Small Business eligible for federal contracts set aside under the WOSB Federal Contracting Program.

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FAR / DFARS clause library

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The GovCon terms and clauses, explained plainly.

C3PAO

CMMC

CUI

Federal Contract Information (FCI)

NIST SP 800-171

POA&M

Section 889

SPRS

System Security Plan (SSP)

Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)

Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)

Cost-plus contract

FAR Part 12

Firm-fixed-price contract

GSA Schedule

GWAC

IDIQ

Novation agreement

Other Transaction Authority (OTA)

Period of performance

SBIR

Teaming agreement

Time-and-materials contract

Anechoic chamber

Continuous vetting

DD Form 254

EMI shielding

Facility Clearance (FCL)

Faraday cage

FOCI

Half-value layer (HVL)

ICD 705

Lead shielding

MRI shielding

NISPOM

Radiation shielding

RF shielding

SCI

SCIF

Security clearance levels

SF-86

Special Access Program (SAP)

TEMPEST

Bid protest

Buy American Act

Certificate of Need (CON)

DFARS

FAR

FPDS

LPTA

MILCON

Prime contractor

PSC code

RFP

Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT)

Sole-source contract

Sources sought

TDLR

Trade Agreements Act (TAA)

USASpending

CAGE code

CPARS

DCSA

SAM registration

UEI

8(a) certification

HUBZone

SDVOSB

Set-aside contracts

WOSB certification

DFARS 252.204-7008

DFARS 252.204-7012

DFARS 252.204-7019

DFARS 252.204-7020

DFARS 252.204-7021

FAR 52.204-21

FAR 52.204-24

FAR 52.204-25

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