FPDS Query Library
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Contract Type

A string field that records the contract type assigned to the procurement action. In FPDS this is typically a coded or standardized value describing the award structure, such as the example "AWARD".

Family: General
Category: General
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: attribute
Mapping: project_level_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
contract_type
Title
Contract Type
FPDS Path
contract_type
Description
A string field that records the contract type assigned to the procurement action. In FPDS this is typically a coded or standardized value describing the award structure, such as the example "AWARD".
Business Meaning
Contract type is a core classification dimension for analyzing how the government obligates funds and structures awards. It supports segmentation of procurement volumes, obligation trends, competition analysis, and comparisons across contract vehicles and award mechanisms.
Example Value
AWARD
Observed Non-Null Count
117,423,893

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
contract_type
FPDS XML Path
contract_type
Mapping Type
project_level_field
Comparison Summary
This variable is exposed directly as a project-level field in FPDS Query.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building

Common Usage

  • Group obligations and counts by contract structure
  • Filter awards by procurement instrument type
  • Compare spending patterns across acquisition methods

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming the field is a narrative description rather than a coded category
  • Joining or filtering on raw values without checking for case, spacing, or version changes

Query Guidance

Use equality filters or IN lists for known contract type values, and GROUP BY this field for categorical summaries. When possible, normalize values with TRIM/UPPER and validate against the FPDS code set or any paired description field before aggregating.

SQL Examples

Preview values

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

Top values

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