> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.samsearch.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Glossary > Plain-English definitions for government contracting acronyms and SamSearch-specific terms New to government contracting, or just need a refresher on what SamSearch calls something? This page covers both — the acronyms you'll hit across solicitations and contract pages, and the handful of terms SamSearch uses for its own concepts. ## Government Contracting Terms ### NAICS **North American Industry Classification System.** A 6-digit code identifying the primary type of business or industry an opportunity falls under (e.g., `541511` for custom computer programming services). Federal, Forecast, and Recompete opportunities publish an authoritative NAICS code; on SLED, Canada, and DIBBS, SamSearch infers it instead, so a mismatch there isn't held against you the same way. Add your own NAICS codes on your [Company Profile](/features/business-profile) — they're one of the signals AI Recommendations needs to generate anything. ### PSC **Product Service Code.** A code describing the specific product, service, or R\&D being procured — more granular than NAICS. PSC is only published on Federal, Forecast, and Recompete opportunities. ### Set-aside A contract, or a portion of one, reserved for a specific category of business — most commonly small businesses, or a certified subset like 8(a), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), or HUBZone. List your certifications on your Company Profile so SamSearch can judge set-aside eligibility; with none listed, eligibility is treated as **unknown**, not automatically disqualifying. ### IDIQ **Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity.** A contract vehicle that doesn't commit to a firm quantity of supplies or services up front — only a minimum and maximum. Individual **task orders** are issued under it over the life of the contract, each posted by the government as its own procurement action with its own requirements and deadline. SamSearch indexes each task order as a separate opportunity, as published at the source — so you may see several listings tied to the same parent vehicle. ### BPA **Blanket Purchase Agreement.** A simplified acquisition arrangement that sets up a standing "charge account" with one or more vendors for anticipated, repetitive needs, without committing to specific quantities up front. ### RFQ / RFP / RFI Three common solicitation types, roughly in order of how far along the requirement is: * **RFI (Request for Information)** — the agency is gathering information only; there's nothing to bid on yet. * **RFQ (Request for Quote)** — a request for pricing, typically for a well-defined product or simple service. * **RFP (Request for Proposal)** — a request for a full technical and pricing proposal, typically for a more complex requirement. ### Recompete An existing contract nearing the end of its period of performance that's expected to be resolicited. SamSearch's [Recompete](/features/contract-overview/recompete) source surfaces these ahead of the formal solicitation, along with incumbent and competitive intelligence where available. Recompete requires [SLED access](/features/upgrade#sled-access). ### Subcontracting plan / FAR 52.219-9 Large prime contractors on certain federal contracts are required to submit a subcontracting plan setting small-business subcontracting goals — the requirement comes from **FAR clause 52.219-9**. SamSearch's [Subcontracting](/features/contract-overview/subcontracting) source lists subcontracting opportunities posted by primes trying to meet those goals. ### SLED **State, Local, and Education** — the collective term for non-federal government entities: state agencies, city and county governments, school districts, and public universities, across all 50 states. In SamSearch, SLED and most non-Federal sources require [SLED access](/features/upgrade#sled-access), which comes with the Pro and Enterprise plans. ### DIBBS **DLA Internet Bid Board System.** The Defense Logistics Agency's electronic marketplace for defense parts — NSNs, approved sources, manufacturer part numbers, and past award pricing. Requires [SLED access](/features/upgrade#sled-access) in SamSearch. ### SBIR / STTR **Small Business Innovation Research** and **Small Business Technology Transfer** — federal programs that set aside early-stage R\&D funding for small businesses. STTR additionally requires a formal partnership with a nonprofit research institution. SBIR/STTR topic status is only ever **Open** or **Pre-Release** in SamSearch — the government's own data export never includes closed topics, so you won't see a "Closed" status. ### DSBS **Dynamic Small Business Search.** The SBA's directory of small businesses that have registered themselves as small in SAM.gov. SamSearch's [Partnerships](/features/partnerships) feature searches this directory to help you find teaming partners and subcontractors. ### UEI **Unique Entity Identifier.** The 12-character ID that replaced the old DUNS number as the primary way SAM.gov identifies a registered entity. Add yours under Company Profile → Company Info. It's required for federal contracting, but not for using SamSearch. ### CAGE Code **Commercial and Government Entity Code.** A 5-character DoD identifier for your business, used alongside your UEI in federal contract awards and solicitations. Also entered under Company Profile → Company Info. ### Sources Sought A government notice asking businesses to express interest and capability for a potential future requirement — a market-research step, not a live solicitation. A Sources Sought and the RFP that eventually follows it are separate procurement actions with their own identifiers, even though they cover the same underlying requirement. ## SamSearch Terms ### AI Profile SamSearch's term for your Company Profile. It's org-scoped — any teammate's edits are visible to the whole organization — and stores the NAICS/PSC codes, keywords, certifications, business description, and documents that power your recommendations, qualification, and proposal drafts. Every organization gets at least one; additional profiles (for a different business entity, division, or subsidiary) are a paid add-on. See [Troubleshooting: "I can't create another AI Profile"](/troubleshooting#i-cant-create-another-ai-profile). ### Journey SamSearch's term for a tracked pursuit of a specific opportunity — the pipeline record that carries tasks, documents, a compliance matrix, and proposal generation through stages from Assessment to Won or Lost. Customers often call this a "bid" or a "pursuit" — same thing. Starting a Journey with the **Start Journey** button on a live opportunity keeps it linked to that opportunity's source data, including future amendments; creating one manually inside Journey Hub does not carry that link. ### Pursuit Used interchangeably with **Journey** — a pursuit is a Journey. ### Saved Search vs. Alert A **Saved Search** stores your search criteria so it can be re-run anytime, including relative date filters that resolve fresh each time rather than going stale. An **Alert** is the notification layered on top of a saved search — toggle the bell and pick **Daily**, **Weekly**, or **Monthly** to get new matches emailed to you. There's no separate instant/real-time alert type, and when AI Qualification is on, only matches scoring 50% or higher are emailed. ### Qualification The **pass** / **low-fit** / **reject** decision AI Qualification makes about an opportunity against your profile or custom criteria. This is a distinct result from the **Fit score** below — the two are often confused because both appear on the same opportunity. Qualification runs as part of every AI Recommendations run, and on saved searches that have [AI Qualification](/features/qualification) turned on — but only when their **scheduled alert** runs, never on a manual Run Search. See [Troubleshooting: "My saved-search alert didn't include AI qualification"](/troubleshooting#my-saved-search-alert-didnt-include-ai-qualification). ### Fit score The 0–100% score shown on AI Recommendations, built from four weighted dimensions (structural fit, strategic fit, scope alignment, and value/risk). It reflects how well an opportunity matches your profile — not your probability of winning it. Score bands: | Score | Label | | - | - | | 80%+ | Excellent Fit | | 65–79% | Strong Fit | | 50–64% | Possible | | 35–49% | Weak | | Below 35% | Poor | | No score | Not Rated | This is a different concept from **Qualification** above — a low Fit score and a reject decision aren't the same thing, though a low-fit qualification result does pull the Fit score down.