Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Key Definitions

Commonly used terms in the DOE procurement process:

  • Goods
    • All tangible personal property, including but not limited to equipment, materials and printing
  • Services
    • The furnishing of labor, time, or effort by a vendor
  • Contract
    • An agreement between a vendor and the DOE for the provision of a good(s) and/or service(s). Contracts have a finite length of time (generally 2-5 years)
  • Procurement
    • Buying, purchasing, or otherwise acquiring any goods, services, or construction, including all functions inherent to the acquisition of these items
  • Purchase Order (“P.O.”)
    • An official document created by a school/central office, directing the vendor to provide delivery of goods and/or provision of services. The P.O. certifies that the school/central office has set aside funds to pay for these goods/services
  • FAMIS
    • Financial Accounting Management System. All DOE purchases are driven through this system
  • Vendor ID
    • Indicates that a vendor is registered in FAMIS. Information such as Tax ID, direct deposit, and physical/email addresses are tied to the Vendor ID. Vendor ID’s can be active or inactive
  • Contracted Vendor
    • A vendor that possesses a contract with the DOE to deliver goods/services. This is the preferred mechanism
  • Non-Contracted Vendor
    • A vendor that delivers goods and services without a contract. Vendor must still acquire an active Vendor ID. This mechanism has many limitations and therefore is not optimal
  • Request for Bid
    • A solicitation for competitive bids. Used to procure goods and services, generally above $100K. Contract is awarded to the lowest qualified bidder(s)
  • Competitive Sealed Bid Below $100K (f/k/a Open Market Agreement)
    • A solicitation for a competitive bid. Used to procure goods and services under $100K. Contract is awarded to the lowest qualified bidder(s)
  • Multiple Task Award Contract (MTAC)
    • A solicitation for competitive proposals. Generally used to procure professional services. Submitted proposals are evaluated for several criteria (i.e. Program Plan, Qualifications, Price, and Demonstrated Effectiveness). Price is not the sole determinant. Formally known as a Pre-Qualified Solicitation