Joint Venture
A partnership where two or more companies form a new entity, or enter a formal agreement, to bid on and perform a specific contract together. Unlike a prime and subcontractor arrangement, JV partners share control, work, and profit under a written JV agreement. In federal contracting, JVs matter most for small businesses. SBA rules let a qualifying JV, including one formed under the Mentor-Protégé Program, compete for set-aside work that a large mentor couldn't pursue alone.
Read the full guide: Large Prime BD Strategy for Set-Aside Markets (September 2026) →
Related terms
Consortium
A consortium is a group of independent companies, organizations, or individuals that formally join together, often through a teaming or membership agreement, to pursue a contract, program, or business opportunity none could win or perform alone. In GovCon, consortiums are commonly used to bid on large IDIQs, OTAs, or multi-disciplinary programs requiring combined expertise.
Due Diligence Questionnaire
DDQA structured set of questions, often 200 to 350 items, that a prime, teaming partner, or reviewing organization uses to vet a company's financial stability, cybersecurity posture, regulatory compliance, and risk management before entering a business relationship. In GovCon, similar vetting shows up under other labels, like security questionnaires or vendor risk assessments, even when a request isn't formally called a DDQ.
Equal Employment Opportunity
EEOEqual Employment Opportunity (EEO) is the legal principle, rooted in federal civil rights law, that prohibits workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. Federal contractors must comply with EEO requirements, including nondiscrimination clauses (FAR 52.222-26) and reporting obligations like the EEO-1, as a condition of doing business with the government.
Public-Private Partnership
PPPA Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a contractual arrangement in which a government agency and a private company share responsibility, financing, risk, and reward for delivering infrastructure, facilities, or services. In government contracting, PPPs are commonly used for projects like military housing, infrastructure modernization, and large-scale IT systems that benefit from private capital and expertise.
