Q · QUALIFIED BIDqualifiedbid.qualifiedcapacity.com

Key terms and official learning references

Keep this companion open while you learn. Definitions are grouped by the decision they help you make; scan a QR code or open its official link to explore further.

Small business programs

Program names describe different eligibility routes. Read the official criteria and the actual solicitation before deciding what applies to your business.

SBA · U.S. Small Business Administration
The federal agency that administers these small business certification programs. Official reference →
WOSB · Women-Owned Small Business
A federal contracting program category; ownership alone does not establish program certification. Official reference →
EDWOSB · Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business
A category within the women-owned program with additional economic-disadvantage criteria. Official reference →
HUBZone · Historically Underutilized Business Zone
A location-related small business certification program. A qualifying ZIP alone does not establish eligibility. Official reference →
8(a) · 8(a) Business Development program
A separate business development and federal contracting assistance program. It is a program name, not an acronym. Official reference →
Set-aside · Competition reserved for an eligible category
Check which businesses may compete and any certification or size conditions. Official reference →

Veteran status and the Durham example

The Durham training case requires an eligible certified SDVOSB prime. WOSB or another certification alone does not satisfy that requirement.

SDVOSB · Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
The business category required for the prime in this case; check certification and applicable size conditions. Official reference →
VOSB · Veteran-Owned Small Business
A distinct category. VOSB status alone does not establish SDVOSB eligibility. Official reference →
VetCert · Veteran Small Business Certification
The SBA certification program for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Official reference →
VA · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The federal buyer for the Durham medical-center groundskeeping example. Official reference →
Prime contractor · The business holding the government contract
A subcontractor performs work under a prime. A partner lead does not automatically cure prime eligibility. Official reference →

Codes, notices and contract requirements

Use a code to focus your research, then read the actual requirement. Codes and historical totals do not replace the solicitation.

NAICS · North American Industry Classification System
Industry classification codes. This episode starts with code 561730, Landscaping Services. Official reference →
SAM.gov · System for Award Management
The official federal website used for entity registration and contract opportunity notices. Official reference →
FAR · Federal Acquisition Regulation
Federal procurement rules and defined terms. Check the clauses applicable to the actual solicitation. Official reference →
PWS · Performance Work Statement
The contract document describing required performance and outcomes. Read amendments with it. Official reference →
EA · Each
Durham document 4, paragraphs 315 and 375 use this pricing unit. It is not automatically the number of visits. Official reference →
CT · Central Time
The time zone used for the deadline shown in this case. Verify the latest notice time zone. Official reference →

Read the buying numbers correctly

These are the operational definitions used in this episode. Preserve the period, geography and source date when comparing results.

FY · Fiscal year
The federal fiscal year runs October–September. FY2026 covers 1 October 2025–30 September 2026. Official reference →
Awards with activity · Distinct award identifiers with a transaction in the selected period and geography
They can include existing contracts. Do not add distinct counts across years or ZIPs. Official reference →
Actions · Individual transaction records
These include initial awards, modifications and adjustments. One award can have many actions. Official reference →
Net obligations · Recorded funding increases minus decreases in the selected period
With actions, a $0 net total means recorded funding changes sum to zero; check transactions for causes. Obligations are funding activity, not revenue or an annual price. Official reference →
Recorded value range · Minimum to maximum positive base-plus-exercised values reconstructed through cutoff
This deck excludes zero balances from its award-size range; they stay in the audit. Full-award values can cover multiple periods or places. These are not annual service prices. Official reference →
Net 30 · A payment term of 30 days
Durham form: document 1, paragraph 124; invoice/acceptance: paragraph 372. Check applicable conditions; payment is not measured from starting work. Official reference →

Connect your assistant and keep learning

Use Qualified Bid’s current setup guide for Claude, ChatGPT or Codex. These connection terms are background help; you do not need to memorize them.

MCP · Model Context Protocol
A standard that lets an AI assistant connect to tools such as Qualified Bid. Official reference →
OAuth · An authorization framework
Allows an application to obtain approved access. Follow the provider’s sign-in and authorization flow. Official reference →
HTTP · Hypertext Transfer Protocol
A web communication protocol. Streamable HTTP is a remote connection transport named in some setup guides. Official reference →
AI · Artificial intelligence
The assistant you use to ask questions and work with connected tools; check its answers against cited evidence. Official reference →