Federal Contracting Acronym
PCO
Procurement Contracting Officer
Plain-English definition
Procuring Contracting Officers run competitions, negotiate terms, and sign initial awards; administrative functions may transfer to an ACO after award.
Why it matters
Clarifications and post-award scope disputes often require PCO or ACO coordination.
Where you will see it
Pre-award correspondence, award documents, and protest responses.
Example in context
When reviewing a solicitation, a contractor confirms how PCO is used in the notice, whether related clauses apply, and which internal subject-matter experts should validate the response.