FPDS Query Library
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Type of Set Aside Description

Human-readable text that describes the type of set-aside applied to the award. It is the descriptive label paired with the coded "Type of Set Aside" field and explains the set-aside designation in plain language.

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__typeOfSetAside__description
Title
Type of Set Aside Description
FPDS Path
award/competition/typeOfSetAside/description
Description
Human-readable text that describes the type of set-aside applied to the award. It is the descriptive label paired with the coded "Type of Set Aside" field and explains the set-aside designation in plain language.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts identify how a procurement was restricted to specific socioeconomic or statutory groups, such as small business or 8(a) awards. It is important for measuring compliance with set-aside policies, categorizing competition restrictions, and reporting on socioeconomic procurement activity.
Example Value
NO SET ASIDE USED.
Observed Non-Null Count
58,230,659

FPDS Compare

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

  • Classifying awards by set-aside type for spend and count analysis
  • Validating or translating coded set-aside values into readable labels
  • Supporting reporting on small business and socioeconomic procurement outcomes

Common Mistakes

  • Using the description as a join key instead of the paired code
  • Assuming the text is standardized across all records and years

Query Guidance

In SQL, select this field for display or QA, but group and join on the paired set-aside code when possible. When analyzing mixed data, normalize text with trimming and case handling, and use DISTINCT or CASE logic to inspect observed labels before building aggregations.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__competition__typeOfSetAside__description AS type_of_set_aside_description
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__competition__typeOfSetAside__description IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__award__competition__typeOfSetAside__description AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__competition__typeOfSetAside__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.