The Commerce Business Daily (CBD) lists notices of proposed government procurement actions, contract awards, sales of government property, and other procurement information. A new edition of the CBD is issued every business day. Each edition contains approximately 500-1,000 notices. Each notice appears in the CBD only once.
All Federal procurement offices are required to announce in the CBD proposed procurement actions over $25,000 and contract awards over $25,000, that are likely to result in the award of any subcontracts.
General Exceptions: The CBD usually does not list procurement notices for (1) classified services or supplies, (2) services or supplies that are required immediately due to an unusual or compelling emergency, (3) services or supplies that are required from specified sources as a result of the terms of an international agreement or treaty, (4) services or supplies where U.S. law specifies a specific source or requires that the procurement be made by another federal agency, (5) certain utility services where only one source is available, (6) a contract action where an order is placed under a requirements contract, (7) a contract action that would result from the acceptance of a proposal under the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, (8) a contract action that would disclose or jeopardize innovative research, (9) perishable supplies, (10) resale of brand name commercial items, (11) supplies or services obtained under the terms of an existing contract that was previously announced in the CBD, (12) services and supplies obtained by the Department of Defense which will be performed or made outside the U.S., its possessions, Puerto Rico, and only local sources will be solicited, and (13) contract actions made through FACNET that meet acquisition threshold regulations. For complete information regarding exceptions, see the Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 5.202.
If you wish to review previous editions of the CBD contact your local public library for assistance. Copies of the CBD are maintained in over 700 Federal Depository Libraries located around the United States.
The CBD contains many abbreviations. Listed below are simple explanations of the most common abbreviations that appear in the CBD:
| Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|
| A-E: | Architect-Engineer |
| ARO: | After Receipt Of Order |
| BAA: | Broad Agency Announcement--A notice from the government that requests scientific or research proposals from private firms concerning certain areas of interest to the government. The proposals submitted by the private firms may lead to contracts. |
| BLS: | Bureau of Labor Statistics--An organization in the U.S. Department of Labor. |
| BOA: | Basic Ordering Agreement--A general outline of the supplies or services to be provided by the contractor. |
| BOD: | Bid Opening Date--The final date that a bid must be received by the appropriate government office. |
| BPA: | Blanket Purchase Agreement--An agreement between the government and a vendor. The agreement gives the government the option to purchase goods or services from the vendor when needed on a on-call basis. |
| CAGE: | Contractor and Government Entity Code--An identification code assigned to the awardees of DOD contracts. The codes are used by DOD for record keeping purposes. Offerors do not need a CAGE code to submit a bid for a contract. |
| CBD: | Commerce Business Daily |
| CFR: | Code of Federal Regulations--A collection of publications that contains regulations for all Federal Departments and Agencies. |
| CICA: | Competition in Contracting Act--A law that requires full and open competition for Federal contracts. |
| CID: | Commercial Item Description |
| CNT: | Contract |
| COB: | Close Of Business |
| COE: | Corps of Engineers--An organization in the U.S. Department of the Army. |
| CONUS: | Continental United States |
| DARO: | Days After Receipt Of Order |
| DCSC: | Defense Construction Supply Center--An organization in the U.S. Department of Defense. |
| DEL: | Delivery |
| DESC: | Defense Electronics Supply Center--An organization in the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency. |
| DFAR: | Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations--Procurement regulations used by organizations in the Department of Defense. Also called Defense Acquisition Regulations (DAR). |
| DGSC: | Defense General Supply Center--An organization in the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency. |
| DISC: | Defense Industrial Supply Center--An organization in the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency. |
| DOD or DoD: | Department of Defense |
| DTD: | Dated |
| ECP: | Engineering Change Proposal |
| EDI: | Electronic Data (or Document) Interchange--Electronic exchange of information, paperless office. |
| FAR: | Federal Acquisition Regulation--Procurement regulations used by both civilian and defense organizations. |
| FAT: | First Article Testing--When DOD buys certain goods they may perform extensive tests on the first item delivered. |
| FFP: | Firm Fixed Price--A type of contract under which the government agrees to purchase goods or services at a set price. |
| FFRDC: | Federally Funded Research & Development Center--A facility funded by the government that conducts research and development work. The facility is operated by a university or a related non-profit organization. |
| FIRMR: | Federal Information Management Resources Regulation--Government-wide regulations that govern the purchase of computer goods and services. |
| FMS: | Foreign Military Sales |
| FSC: | Federal Supply Classification--A code number used by the government to identify various items of equipment which are purchased by the government. |
| FSN: | Federal Stock Number--A code number used to identify documents sold by the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents. |
| FSS: | Federal Supply Service--An organization in the U.S. General Services Administration. |
| GAO: | General Accounting Office |
| GFE: | Government-Furnished Equipment |
| GFM: | Government-Furnished Materials |
| GOCO: | Government-Owned, Contractor Operated |
| GSA: | General Services Administration |
| IAW: | In Accordance With |
| IFB: | Invitation for Bid--A solicitation issued by the government to prospective bidders. An IFB describes what the government requires and how the offerors will be evaluated. Award is based on the lowest bid. Negotiations are not conducted. |
| LSA: | Labor Surplus Area--A Federal program to set-aside certain contracts to businesses located in areas with high unemployment. |
| NLT: | No Later Than |
| NSN: | National Stock Number--A unique number assigned by the General Services Administration which catalogs a wide range of items by commodity, group, and class. |
| NSNA: | No Stock Number Assigned |
| o/a: | On or About |
| OICC: | Officer in Charge of Construction |
| OSD: | Office of the Secretary of Defense |
| OSDBU: | Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization |
| PIN: | Pre-Invitation Notice--A summary of a solicitation package sent to prospective bidders, who may then request the entire solicitation package. |
| P.L.: | Public Law |
| P/N: | Part Number |
| PO: | Purchase Order |
| POC: | Point of Contact |
| R&D: | Research and Development |
| RFP: | Request for Proposal--A solicitation issued by the government to prospective offerors. An RFP describes what the government requires and how the offerors will be evaluated. Negotiations may be conducted with offerors. Award is based on a combination of lowest price and technical merit. |
| RFQ: | Request for Quotation--A request for market information by the government, used for planning purposes. |
| ROICC: | Resident Officer in Charge of Construction |
| SBSA: | Small Business Set Aside--A solicitation restricted to competition completed only among small businesses. |
| SDB: | Small And Disadvantaged Business--A small business that is owned and operated by a socially or economically disadvantaged individual. |
| SF: | Standard Form |
| SIC: | Standard Industrial Classification--A code number used by the government to classify goods or services by their principal purpose. |
| SOL: | Solicitation--A document that describes the specifications of what the government requires. A solicitation is usually an IFB or a RFP. |
| SOW: | Statement of Work--A description of the government's requirements for purchasing a good or service. |
Notices of contract actions that appear in the CBD are arranged by classification codes. The classification codes are divided into two primary groups, Services and Supplies. Listed below are the titles and examples of the service codes.
Please be aware that the CBD staff are not authorized to determine the classification code for any notice. Only the Contracting Officer that issued the notice is authorized to determine the classification code. Because a misclassified notice of a contract action fails to effectively notify the firms most likely to respond and therefore violates the Competition in Contracting Act and the Contracting Officer would be held responsible, for additional information see Comptroller General Decision No. B-228744, dated November 12, 1987.
The classification codes for Supplies, Equipment, and Material are as follows:
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 10 | Weapons |
| 11 | Nuclear Ordnance |
| 12 | Fire Control Equipment |
| 13 | Ammunition and Explosives |
| 14 | Guided Missiles |
| 15 | Aircraft and Airframe Structural Components |
| 16 | Aircraft Components and Accessories |
| 17 | Aircraft Launching, Landing, and Ground Handling Equipment |
| 18 | Space Vehicles |
| 19 | Ships, Small Craft, Pontoons, and Floating Docks |
| 20 | Ship and Marine Equipment |
| 22 | Railway Equipment |
| 23 | Ground Effect Vehicles, Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Cycles |
| 24 | Tractors |
| 25 | Vehicular Equipment Components |
| 26 | Tires and Tubes |
| 28 | Engines, Turbines, and Components |
| 29 | Engine Accessories |
| 30 | Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment |
| 31 | Bearings |
| 32 | Woodworking Machinery and Equipment |
| 34 | Metalworking Machinery |
| 35 | Service and Trade Equipment |
| 36 | Special Industry Machinery |
| 37 | Agricultural Machinery and Equipment |
| 38 | Construction, Mining, Excavating, and Highway Maintenance Equipment |
| 39 | Materials Handling Equipment |
| 40 | Rope, Cable, Chain, and Fittings |
| 41 | Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Air Circulating Equipment |
| 42 | Fire Fighting, Rescue, and Safety Equipment |
| 43 | Pumps and Compressors |
| 44 | Furnace, Steam Plant, and Drying Equipment, and Nuclear Reactors |
| 45 | Plumbing, Heating and Sanitation Equipment |
| 46 | Water Purification and Sewage Treatment Equipment |
| 47 | Pipe, Tubing, Hose, and Fittings |
| 48 | Valves |
| 49 | Maintenance and Repair Shop Equipment |
| 51 | Hand Tools |
| 52 | Measuring Tools |
| 53 | Hardware and Abrasives |
| 54 | Prefabricated Structures and Scaffolding |
| 55 | Lumber, Millwork, Plywood, and Veneer |
| 56 | Construction and Building Materials |
| 58 | Communication, Detection, and Coherent Radiation Equipment |
| 59 | Electrical and Electronic Equipment Components |
| 60 | Fiber Optics Materials and Components, Assemblies, and Accessories |
| 61 | Electric Wire, and Power and Distribution Equipment |
| 62 | Lighting Fixtures and Lamps |
| 63 | Alarm and Signal, and Security Detection Systems |
| 65 | Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Equipment and Supplies |
| 66 | Instruments and Laboratory Equipment |
| 67 | Photographic Equipment |
| 68 | Chemicals and Chemical Products |
| 69 | Training Aids and Devices |
| 70 | General Purpose Information Technology Equipment |
| 71 | Furniture |
| 72 | Household and Commercial Furnishings and Appliances |
| 73 | Food Preparation and Serving Equipment |
| 74 | Office Machines, Text Processing Systems and Visible Record Equipment |
| 75 | Office Supplies and Devices |
| 76 | Books, Maps, and Other Publications |
| 77 | Musical Instruments, Phonographs, and Home-Type Radios |
| 78 | Recreational and Athletic Equipment |
| 79 | Cleaning Equipment and Supplies |
| 80 | Brushes, Paints, Sealers, and Adhesives |
| 81 | Containers, Packaging, and Packing Supplies |
| 83 | Textiles, Leather, Furs, Apparel and Shoe Findings, Tents and Flags |
| 84 | Clothing, Individual Equipment, and Insignia |
| 85 | Toiletries |
| 87 | Agricultural Supplies |
| 88 | Live Animals |
| 89 | Subsistence (Food) |
| 91 | Fuels, Lubricants, Oils, and Waxes |
| 93 | Nonmetallic Fabricated Materials |
| 94 | Nonmetallic Crude Materials |
| 95 | Metal Bars, Sheets, and Shapes |
| 96 | Ores, Minerals, and Their Primary Products |
| 99 | Miscellaneous |
Listed below is an explanation of the format used by the CBD.
DOT, FED HWY ADMIN, Conts and Proc, 900 8th ST, SE, Rm 901, Washington DC 20030
A--TRAFFIC BARRIERS ON CURVES, CURBS AND SLOPES RFP DTFH61-87-R00000. Due 041289. Contact John Doe, 202/377-2000. The objectives of this study are to: 1) develop safer guard rail designs for use on curves, curbs, and slopes; and 2) evaluate existing practices to develop better design guidelines and placement guidelines for guard rail installations on curves, curbs, and slopes. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered. See Note 22. (116)
| Item | Explanation |
|---|---|
| DOT, FED HWY ADMIN, Conts and Proc, 900 8th ST, SE, Rm 901, Washington DC 20030 | Name and address of the contracting office |
| A | Classification Code |
| TRAFFIC BARRIERS ON CURVES, CURBS, AND SLOPES | Subject |
| RFP DTFH61-87-R00000 | Solicitation Number |
| Due 041289 | Due Date 4/12/89 |
| Contact John Doe, 202/377-2000 | Contact Person |
| The objectives of this study are to: 1) develop safer guard...proposal which shall be considered. | Description |
| See Note 22 | Read Numbered Note 22 |
| (116) | Julian Date indicating when the synopsis was received by the CBD Office |
This is only a sample procurement notice. Actual notices may contain either more or less information. For additional information concerning an actual notice please contact the office that has issued the notice. The appropriate office is identified in bold face at the beginning of the notice.
Numbered Notes are Footnotes. If a Numbered Note is included in the description of a notice, the note referred to must be read as part of the item.