Government Acronyms: Clearing the Confusion

CO – Contracting Officer

• The government official with legal authority to enter into, administer, modify, or terminate contracts on behalf of the agency. When communicating with an agency, understanding who the CO is and what authority they have is key to effective engagement.

KO – Contracting Officer (often in DOD/defense contexts)

• Essentially the same role as CO, but the “KO” label is standard in defense acquisitions. Recognizing whether a solicitation uses KO language helps you interpret defense versus civilian acquisition conventions.

COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative

• A government individual designated by the CO to monitor contract performance, compliance, and day-to-day contractor interface. For the contractor, building a strong relationship with the COR (while respecting the CO’s authority) improves performance and future work.

COTR – Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative

• A variant of COR with a technical/more specialized focus — oversees technical deliverables, performance metrics, etc. If your contract has a significant technical component, you’ll likely deal with a COTR in addition to the CO.

ACO – Administrative Contracting Officer

• The official responsible for contract administration after award (e.g., modifications, oversight), rather than award itself. Being aware of who the ACO is matters for change orders, extensions, deliverable schedules, modifications.
  
  

RFP – Request for Proposal

• A solicitation format used when the government allows proposal submissions and evaluates them based on multiple criteria (cost, approach, past performance). Understanding how an RFP is structured helps you respond effectively, competing on both technical merit and price.

RFQ – Request for Quote

• A lighter solicitation format is used for simpler procurements (often lower-dollar, less complex) where the agency requests quotes rather than full proposals. Recognizing when an opportunity is an RFQ vs an RFP helps you tailor the depth and cost of your response appropriately.

BPA – Blanket Purchase Agreement

• An agreement between a government buyer and a contractor with predetermined terms, enabling repeated purchases without new full solicitations each time. For contractors, qualifying for a BPA means you’re in a “standing offer” position—repeated work, less cost of bidding each time.

BOA – Basic Ordering Agreement

• Similar to a BPA, it establishes terms under which future orders can be placed but is not itself a contract; rather, a vehicle or framework for future contracts. Recognizing these ordering mechanisms helps you understand how agencies intend to buy—not just once, but repeatedly.

BAFO – Best and Final Offer

• The stage where offerors are asked to submit their final proposal that reflects their best possible terms after initial evaluation. As a contractor, being prepared to submit a strong BAFO may increase your chances of award when competition is tight.

CAN – Contract Award Notification

• An official announcement that a contract has been awarded, enabling authorized users to know that the contract exists and may be used. Keeping track of CANs can help businesses spot opportunities to become subcontractors or access newly awarded vehicles.

CANU – Contract Award Notification Update

• A subsequent notice to adjust, extend, modify, or cancel an existing contract award notification. These updates often signal changes in vehicle terms, extensions, or the addition of new users, vital intel for contractors.

CDRL – Contract Data Requirements List

• A list of deliverable data items (reports, drawings, documentation) that the contractor must provide under a contract. Understanding the CDRL in advance helps contractors build internal processes for tracking, delivering, and billing.
  
  

CICA – Competition in Contracting Act

• The federal law that governs full and open competition in federal procurements and enforces procurement fairness. Contractors should know how CICA applies because it influences whether set-asides, sole-source awards, and other procedural nuances occur.

T&M – Time & Materials

• A contract type where payment is based on actual labor hours at fixed hourly rates plus actual material costs. These contracts carry different risk profiles than fixed-price—understanding when to bid or accept T&M vs other types is key.

CAS – Cost Accounting Standards

• Standards that govern how contractors account for and allocate costs to government contracts; significant for contractors with large or complex cost-type work. Even small firms should be aware of CAS if they expect to grow into size standards or major contracts, because CAS compliance becomes a contract risk.

C2 / C3I / C4 / C4ISR – Command & Control / Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence / Command, Control, Communications and Computers / Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance

• Defense-industry acronyms that describe broad capability clusters for military acquisition. If you serve or plan to serve defense primes or agencies, understanding such capability clusters helps you craft relevant messaging and target opportunities intelligently.