NIGP-CPP key terms

A documented evaluation method that weighs price alongside non-price factors such as quality, past performance, and lifecycle cost to select the offer giving the greatest overall advantage rather than the lowest bid.

The degree to which a submitted offer conforms to the material terms, conditions, and specifications of the solicitation, judged before any award decision is made.

A prospective contractor's demonstrated capacity and integrity to perform, covering financial resources, experience, facilities, and record of satisfactory prior performance; assessed separately from the offer's responsiveness.

A scoring structure that assigns points to each criterion in proportion to its stated importance, allowing evaluators to compare offers on a common numerical scale before ranking.

A group of qualified individuals assembled to independently review offers against published criteria, document individual scores, and reach a consensus recommendation for award.

A solicitation method using unpriced technical proposals first to refine specifications, followed by a priced bidding stage among technically acceptable offerors.

An award method in which sealed price bids are publicly opened at a set time and the contract goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder meeting the stated requirements.

A solicitation document that describes a need and invites offerors to propose solutions and pricing, used when requirements cannot be tightly specified and negotiation or best-value tradeoffs are expected.

The group of offerors whose proposals are judged most likely to result in an acceptable award, and with whom discussions or negotiations will proceed.

The distinction between limited exchanges to resolve minor informalities or obvious errors and substantive negotiations that allow offerors to revise proposals and require all in-range offerors be treated fairly.

A final submission requested from offerors after discussions, allowing each to revise price and technical content before the agency makes its award decision.

A formal challenge to a solicitation, award, or procurement decision filed by an interested party, triggering an administrative or judicial review process with defined deadlines.

A structured post-award explanation given to unsuccessful offerors describing evaluation results and the basis for the award, typically required on request and subject to confidentiality limits.

An expedited purchasing authority invoked when an imminent threat to life, property, or essential operations requires immediate action, usually with documented justification and post-hoc review.

A written rationale demonstrating that only one supplier can meet the requirement, supporting a noncompetitive award and typically requiring review and approval above a stated threshold.

A dollar level set by statute or policy that determines which purchasing method, approval level, and competition requirements apply to a given acquisition.

An arrangement in which an agency buys through a contract established by another government entity or consortium, leveraging aggregated volume and avoiding duplicate solicitation effort.

Use of an existing contract awarded by another jurisdiction to obtain goods or services, permitted only where law and the original contract allow it and pricing remains valid.

The transfer of rights or obligations under an existing contract to another party, which generally requires written consent and must not reduce competition or alter agreed terms.

A three-party agreement replacing one contracting party with another, commonly used after merger or acquisition so the government's rights and obligations continue without interruption.

A written change to contract terms, scope, price, or schedule, executed by authorized officials and classified as bilateral when signed by both parties or unilateral when within a changes clause.

An informal direction or action by agency personnel that alters contractor performance without a formal modification, potentially entitling the contractor to an equitable price adjustment.

A price or time adjustment that restores the contractor to the position it would have occupied absent a government-directed change, without providing profit on the change itself.

The contract section defining what the contractor must deliver, including quantities, performance standards, and boundaries that limit permissible modifications without new competition.

A results-oriented description of required outcomes, measurable performance standards, and quality assurance approach, used in service contracts instead of prescriptive methods.

A defined, measurable metric tied to contract outcomes that allows both parties to track service quality and trigger remedies or incentives.

A contract annex specifying measurable service targets, measurement methods, reporting, and remedies for shortfalls, commonly used in information technology and facilities contracts.

A pre-agreed sum payable for specified delays or failures, enforceable only when it is a reasonable forecast of anticipated harm rather than a penalty.

A structured review of a supplier's record on comparable contracts, using references or agency databases, used to judge likelihood of successful future performance.

A periodic rating instrument summarizing a supplier's delivery, quality, cost control, and responsiveness, used to guide contract renewals and relationship improvement discussions.

A deliberate program of segmenting suppliers by importance, setting governance routines, and jointly managing performance and risk to extract value beyond transactional purchasing.

A condition where switching costs, proprietary formats, or long-term obligations make it impractical to change suppliers, reducing future leverage and competition.

An analysis totaling acquisition, operating, maintenance, and disposal costs over a product's useful life so that award decisions reflect total cost rather than purchase price alone.

The aggregate of all direct and indirect costs attributable to acquiring and using a good or service, including administration, training, downtime, and risk-related expense.

A commitment recorded against a budget line reserving funds for a specific obligation such as a purchase order or contract, preventing duplicate spending of the same appropriation.

Legislative authorization to spend public funds for specified purposes during a defined period, establishing the legal ceiling within which procurement obligations must remain.

The end-of-period process of validating obligations, accruing received goods and services, and closing or carrying forward balances in accordance with accounting rules.

A written statement by an employee or evaluator identifying financial or personal interests that could bias procurement decisions, enabling recusal or management before action is taken.

The standards of conduct governing public buyers, including impartiality, confidentiality of proprietary offer information, refusal of gratuities, and avoidance of appearances of impropriety.

Receipt of gifts, meals, or favors from suppliers or bidders, which is restricted or prohibited because it can compromise impartial judgment and undermine public trust.