Discover the hidden meanings behind the letters and numbers in federal contracts and purchase orders, and learn how to decode agency identifiers, funding types, fiscal years, and sequential numbering systems.
If you have ever received an award from a federal agency and wondered what all the numbers and letters meant, you are not alone. Each letter and number contained in a federal contract or purchase order has a specific meaning. The letters identify the agency that issued the purchase order, the type of funding used (either military or civil funding), the fiscal year the order was issued, the type of purchase vehicle (a contract, purchase order, request for quotation, request for bid, or proposal), and finally, the next sequential numerical identification to be utilized.
As an example, consider a hypothetical purchase order number that would have been issued by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District: DACA31-09-P-0001. The first two letters, "DA," represent the Department of the Army, while the "C" stands for the Corps of Engineers, and "A" indicates that military funding was used to procure the items on the purchase order. The next set of numbers is "31"; this number changes to match the district that wrote the order, with "31" representing the Baltimore District. The following number on the purchase order is "09," which indicates the fiscal year the order was written. The next letter in the example is a "P," which indicates that the purchase order fell into the small purchase category. This letter can change depending on the nature of the purchase order—for example, "D" for an indefinite-delivery type contract, "C" for a contract that is over the small business threshold, or "F," which indicates that the purchase was made from an existing GSA contract. The last four numbers in the order are the sequential numbers that show how many orders have been written. In this example, "0001" would be the first order written in fiscal year "09."
All agencies within the federal government use nearly identical identifiers, whether you are dealing with the Department of the Navy, the Social Security Administration, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They all must identify their location, the type of award they are presenting, the fiscal year, the source of funding (military or civil), and the next sequential number in their ordering system.
So do not feel lost when looking at a purchase order you just received from the federal government. The person who issued the order knows exactly what each letter and number stand for; it is all about deciphering the code. Good luck.
Learn More About Purchase Order Number Generators
Discover the hidden meanings behind the letters and numbers in federal contracts and purchase orders, and learn how to decode agency identifiers, funding types, fiscal years, and sequential numbering systems.
If you have ever received an award from a federal agency and wondered what all the numbers and letters meant, you are not alone. Each letter and number contained in a federal contract or purchase order has a specific meaning. The letters identify the agency that issued the purchase order, the type of funding used (either military or civil funding), the fiscal year the order was issued, the type of purchase vehicle (a contract, purchase order, request for quotation, request for bid, or proposal), and finally, the next sequential numerical identification to be utilized.
As an example, consider a hypothetical purchase order number that would have been issued by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District: DACA31-09-P-0001. The first two letters, "DA," represent the Department of the Army, while the "C" stands for the Corps of Engineers, and "A" indicates that military funding was used to procure the items on the purchase order. The next set of numbers is "31"; this number changes to match the district that wrote the order, with "31" representing the Baltimore District. The following number on the purchase order is "09," which indicates the fiscal year the order was written. The next letter in the example is a "P," which indicates that the purchase order fell into the small purchase category. This letter can change depending on the nature of the purchase order—for example, "D" for an indefinite-delivery type contract, "C" for a contract that is over the small business threshold, or "F," which indicates that the purchase was made from an existing GSA contract. The last four numbers in the order are the sequential numbers that show how many orders have been written. In this example, "0001" would be the first order written in fiscal year "09."
All agencies within the federal government use nearly identical identifiers, whether you are dealing with the Department of the Navy, the Social Security Administration, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They all must identify their location, the type of award they are presenting, the fiscal year, the source of funding (military or civil), and the next sequential number in their ordering system.
So do not feel lost when looking at a purchase order you just received from the federal government. The person who issued the order knows exactly what each letter and number stand for; it is all about deciphering the code. Good luck.
Learn More About Purchase Order Number Generators
By Howtodotips
Discover the hidden meanings behind the letters and numbers in federal contracts and purchase orders, and learn how to decode agency identifiers, funding types, fiscal years, and sequential numbering systems.