FPDS Query Library
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Effective Date

The contract's effective start date, recorded as the date the agreement becomes operative. It marks when performance, obligations, or period-of-performance calculations should begin.

Family: Award
Category: Dates
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: attribute
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__relevantContractDates__effectiveDate
Title
Effective Date
FPDS Path
award/relevantContractDates/effectiveDate
Description
The contract's effective start date, recorded as the date the agreement becomes operative. It marks when performance, obligations, or period-of-performance calculations should begin.
Business Meaning
This date is essential for reconstructing award timelines, measuring lead time from solicitation to start of performance, and aligning obligations or modifications to the correct fiscal period. Analysts use it to group awards by time period and to distinguish when a contract actually took effect versus when it was signed or reported.
Example Value
1979-08-31 00:00:00
Observed Non-Null Count
111,508,426

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__relevantContractDates__effectiveDate
FPDS XML Path
award/relevantContractDates/effectiveDate
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'award/relevantContractDates/effectiveDate' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__award__relevantContractDates__effectiveDate'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building
  • Timeline, cohort, and period analysis

Common Usage

  • award start-date analysis
  • period-of-performance timing
  • time-to-award and trend reporting

Common Mistakes

  • confusing effective date with signing date or reporting date
  • filtering by raw string without converting to a date type

Query Guidance

Cast or parse the value to a DATE/TIMESTAMP type, then use it in WHERE clauses, date truncation, and time-series groupings. For example, filter on the effective date range for awards that became active in a given month or fiscal year.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__relevantContractDates__effectiveDate AS effective_date
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__relevantContractDates__effectiveDate IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

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