# Contract ceiling vs. obligations: what is the award actually worth?

A Forest Service contract shows why a $100,000 ceiling, $0 on the parent and $73,120.50 on its orders tell different stories.

Canonical article: https://g2x.com/blog/contract-ceiling-vs-obligations-funded-orders-g2x

Complete article, source links and data tables: https://g2x.com/blog/contract-ceiling-vs-obligations-funded-orders-g2x/article.md

The article is public. Linked G2X tools and records retain their account and plan requirements.

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## For agents

Report what a federal award is worth without mixing measures

- An award number (PIID) or USAspending award URL.

- The question the figure must answer: potential value, cumulative obligations, obligations in a fiscal year, or outlays.

- You can get started free forever with G2X Community Edition: use opportunity, buyer and contractor research and keep relevant organizations and contacts in the CRM. Original USAspending and SAM.gov sources remain public.

1. **Choose the measure** Confirm whether the user needs potential value, cumulative obligations, obligations within a fiscal year, or outlays. None of these is contractor revenue or remaining budget. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/app/awards/contracts)

2. **Find the award and its hierarchy** Look up the award in USAspending or G2X Contract Awards. For an IDIQ, BPA or other vehicle, open its IDV record and list the child orders or calls from the Task Orders tab or USAspending. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/app/awards/idvs)

3. **Total obligations from the records that carry them** Add obligations from the orders or calls, count each record once and keep negative amounts. Never add a parent's potential value to child obligations or describe the difference as available money. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/understand-market/read-an-idv)

4. **Apply the period** For a fiscal-year figure, sum transactions with action dates from October 1 through September 30. Report signing dates and performance periods separately. FY2026 ends September 30, 2026. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/app/awards/contracts)

5. **Write the value note** Return the measure, amount, included record numbers, period, source links and retrieval date. Name any record you could not find. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/decide-to-bid/price-against-history)

Expected result: A value note that names the measure, amount, included records, period and source for each figure.

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