FPDS Query Library
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Solicitation Procedures Description

Human-readable description for the paired coded solicitation procedures field in an IDV record. It states the solicitation method or procedure used, such as a negotiated proposal or quote process, rather than the underlying code itself.

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

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__IDV__competition__solicitationProcedures__description
Title
Solicitation Procedures Description
FPDS Path
IDV/competition/solicitationProcedures/description
Description
Human-readable description for the paired coded solicitation procedures field in an IDV record. It states the solicitation method or procedure used, such as a negotiated proposal or quote process, rather than the underlying code itself.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts understand how the procurement was competed or solicited, which is important for assessing acquisition strategy, competition approach, and compliance with procurement rules. It provides readable context for reported solicitation procedure codes and supports grouping, reporting, and validation across awards.
Example Value
NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE
Observed Non-Null Count
3,799,588

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__IDV__competition__solicitationProcedures__description
FPDS XML Path
IDV/competition/solicitationProcedures/description
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'IDV/competition/solicitationProcedures/description' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__IDV__competition__solicitationProcedures__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

  • Interpreting solicitation procedure codes in FPDS extracts
  • Grouping awards by procurement method for reporting
  • Validating data quality between code and description fields

Common Mistakes

  • Using the description as if it were the authoritative code
  • Assuming text values are fully standardized across all records

Query Guidance

Use this field for display, labeling, and validation, while joining or filtering on the paired solicitation procedure code when exact classification is required. In SQL, consider normalizing text values with TRIM/UPPER for reporting, but do not rely on the description alone for analytical logic if the coded field is available.

SQL Examples

Preview values

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

Top values

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