A contract that a state budget office signs with approved vendors. The budget office vets a set of vendors for, say, copy machines. Every office in the state th

A contract that a state budget office signs with approved vendors. The budget office vets a set of vendors for, say, copy machines. Every office in the state then has to purchase from one of those vendors for their copy machine needs. It's a fraud protection thing. It prevents one of the many many tiny offices from funneling money through a phony vendor.