Guide
Price and Availability data or a Letter of Offer and Acceptance: what is the difference?
data is an estimate of cost and availability for planning. It is not an offer to sell and cannot be used to prepare a . A is the U.S. Government's offer to sell, built on the purchaser's specific requirements; once the purchaser signs it, it is an , and it is implemented when any required has been received and the implementing transactions have occurred.
A Letter of Request can be answered three ways. A request for Price and Availability is answered with a Rough Order of Magnitude estimate or, for international competitions and Building Partner Capacity, with Price and Availability data; neither commits the U.S. Government to offer anything, and neither can be used to prepare a Letter of Offer and Acceptance. Only the LOA is the offer, and to buy, the partner must request one.
Price and Availability or Letter of Offer and Acceptance
An international partner’s can be a request for a or an . The key differences between these two types of responses to are outlined below.
data refers to a estimate reflecting projected cost and availability for defense articles and services identified in an . A request for planning cost data is answered with a estimate — initial, non-binding, for planning and feasibility — which the provides within 30 days using the ROM memorandum template. data is prepared for international competitions and Building Partner Capacity. Neither commits the U.S. Government to offer the items, and neither is valid for preparing an . To avoid confusion, the term should not be used when referring to data developed for an —such data should be referred to as data (). Refer to C5.5 for further discussion of data.
The , addressed in C5.6 of the , is the authorized document used by the as an offer to sell defense articles, services, and training to an international partner or international organization. An case is the signed basic document and the subsequent amendments and modifications.
The case document represents a bona fide offer by the to sell the described items identified in the document. Once the purchaser signs it, the is an ; it is implemented when any required has been received and the implementing transactions have occurred. While and data are both estimates, an is developed based on the international partner’s specific requirements and contains the most precise data available at the time the document is prepared. If logistical or financial requirements change after the case is implemented, it may be necessary to amend or modify the case.
References
SAMM
- SAMM C5.5.1 — Definition.
- SAMM GLOSSARY/rough-order-of-magnitude-rom — Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)
- SAMM C5.4.1 — Definition.
- SAMM GLOSSARY/letter-of-offer-and-acceptance-loa — Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA)
Related
Price and Availability (P&A)
Implementing Agencies’ (IAs) (Military Department organizations and Defense Agencies) response to requests from a foreign government or international organization (partner) for preliminary pricing and availability for international competitions and requests from authorized USG requesting authorities for building partner capacity. Furnishing of this data does not constitute a commitment for the USG to offer for sale the articles and services for which the data is provided.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA)
The legal instrument used by the USG to transfer itemized defense articles, defense services, and design and construction services to foreign partners.
When used under the authorities provided in the Arms Export Control Act for Foreign Military Sales, the LOA is a binding agreement signed by the USG and the foreign partner to transfer such articles and services.
When used under Building Partnership Capacity (BPC) authorities, the BPC LOA is not signed by the Benefitting Partner.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Accepted Case
A Letter of Offer and Acceptance signed by an authorized representative (e.g., Foreign Military Sale case signed by the foreign purchaser’s government or Building Partner Capacity case signed by the DoD Implementing Agency).
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Initial Deposit
Funds that are required to cover outlays and/or deliveries that are anticipated to occur before the receipt of the first quarterly payment. These funds must accompany the accepted Letter of Offer and Acceptance.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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LOR — Letter of Request
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
P&A — Price and Availability
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
LOA — Letter of Offer and Acceptance
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) (Foreign Military Sales)
The Implementing Agencies’ (IAs) response to a Foreign Military Sales Letter of Request for P&A. It is an initial, non-binding cost estimate intended for planning and feasibility assessment, giving the foreign government or international organization (partner) a general idea of the potential cost and availability of defense articles or services. Furnishing this data does not constitute a commitment for the USG to offer for sale the articles and services.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Implementing Agency (IA)
The military department or defense agency responsible for the execution of military assistance programs. With respect to FMS, the military department or defense agency assigned responsibility by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency to prepare an LOA and to implement an FMS case. The implementing agency is responsible for the overall management of the actions that will result in delivery of the materials or services set forth in the LOA that was accepted by a foreign country or international organization.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Letter of Offer and Acceptance Data (LOAD)
Data required to develop a Letter of Offer and Acceptance.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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SAMM — Security Assistance Management Manual
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Glossary entry →Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM) →
Military Department (MILDEP)
One of the departments within the DoD created by the National Security Act of 1947, as amended. The Military Departments are: the Department of the Air Force, the Department of the Army, and the Department of the Navy.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
A process, authorized by the Arms Export Control Act, through which eligible foreign governments and international organizations may purchase defense articles, services, and training from the United States Government.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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Letter of Request (LOR)
The term used to identify a request from an eligible FMS participant country for the purchase of U.S. defense articles and services. The request may be in message or letter format.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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FMS — Foreign Military Sale
SAMM Acronyms, as of 12 September 2026
Arms Export Control Act (AECA)
The basic U.S. law providing the authority and general rules for the conduct of Foreign Military Sales and commercial sales of defense articles, defense services, and training. The Arms Export Control Act (AECA) came into existence with the passage of the Foreign Military Sales Act (FMSA) of 1968. An amendment in the International Security Assistance and AECA of 1976 changed the name of FMSA to the AECA.
SAMM Glossary, as of 12 September 2026
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