FPDS Query Library
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Reason Not Competed Description

Human-readable text that explains the reason a requirement was not competed. It is the descriptive label paired with the coded "Reason Not Competed" value in the Award > Competition portion of FPDS data.

Family: Award
Category: Competition
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: description
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description
Title
Reason Not Competed Description
FPDS Path
award/competition/reasonNotCompeted/description
Description
Human-readable text that explains the reason a requirement was not competed. It is the descriptive label paired with the coded "Reason Not Competed" value in the Award > Competition portion of FPDS data.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts understand why an award bypassed competition, which is important for assessing procurement method, competition exceptions, and potential oversight risk. It translates coded acquisition reasons into readable language for reporting and review.
Example Value
UNIQUE SOURCE
Observed Non-Null Count
17,842,101

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description
FPDS XML Path
award/competition/reasonNotCompeted/description
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'award/competition/reasonNotCompeted/description' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building
  • Competition and sole-source analysis

Common Usage

  • Reviewing sole-source or other noncompetitive award justifications
  • Grouping awards by exception to competition for spend analysis
  • Supporting audit or oversight checks on competition rates

Common Mistakes

  • Treating the description as a stable controlled code rather than free-text label text
  • Using the description alone without the paired reason code or competition fields

Query Guidance

Select this field with the corresponding reason code and competition indicators. In SQL, use it for display, filtering, or text grouping only when paired values have been normalized; for analysis, prefer grouping by the coded reason and use the description as a label.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description AS reason_not_competed_description
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY value
ORDER BY record_count DESC
LIMIT 25

Each dictionary item includes SQL-ready examples generated alongside the variable metadata, allowing immediate use in FPDS Query for filtering, aggregation, and analysis.