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X12 transaction guide · Catalogs and pricing

EDI 251 Pricing Support

The X12 document used to request or send budget or actual labor and overhead rates, factors and supporting data for a period.

Sent by
Contractor or government agency
Received by
Government agency or contractor
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 251?

The EDI 251 Pricing Support is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to request or transmit budget or actual data for labor and overhead rates, factors and other supporting data for a specified period. It is bi-directional and can be used on its own or with other pricing transaction sets.

In government contracting, prices are built from labor rates and indirect cost rates that agencies review. Exchanging the rates in structured form supports contract pricing proposals (805) and audits of the rates used.

How the EDI 251 worksDiagram of the EDI 251 Pricing Support. Contractor or government agency sends it to government agency or contractor. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 805 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and SPI (Specification Identifier). 3 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 251 worksPricing Support: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 251SENDERContractor orgovernment agencyRECEIVERGovernment agency orcontractor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY805Contract Pricing Proposal997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code CPGS … GETransaction set 251ST … SEHEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentSPISpecification Identifier+ 2 optional loops, starting with:REFN1DETAIL+ 1 optional loop, starting with:PPLBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 251. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 251 worksDiagram of the EDI 251 Pricing Support. Contractor or government agency sends it to government agency or contractor. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 805 and 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and SPI (Specification Identifier). 3 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 251 worksPricing Support: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 251SENDERContractor orgovernmentagencyRECEIVERGovernmentagency orcontractor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY805Contract Pricing Proposal997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code CP (GS … GE)Transaction set 251 (ST … SE)HEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentSPISpecification Identifier+ 2 optional loops, starting with:REFN1DETAIL+ 1 optional loop, starting with:PPLBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 251. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 251, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 251 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Submitting forward pricing rates for review
  • Reporting actual indirect cost rates
  • Supporting contract pricing proposals

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 251 Pricing Support
Usually followed by 805 Contract Pricing Proposal997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 251 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • BGN
  • SPI
  • REF
  • N1
  • PPL
  • PD
  • PL
  • PO1
  • AMT
  • LX
  • QTY
  • SE

Practical example

The 251 in practice

A defense contractor submits its forward pricing rates for the next year: labor rates by category and overhead and general administrative rates. It sends them to the agency's auditors as a 251. The agreed rates are later used in contract pricing proposals sent with the 805.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 251

  • Define rate categories consistently with accounting.
  • Distinguish budget rates from actual rates.
  • Support rates with the data auditors require.
  • Follow the agency's submission requirements.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 251 with ECOM

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

Industry

Industrial Manufacturing

Distributor, OEM customer and supplier integration for industrial manufacturers.

Solution

Enterprise Integration

Any-to-any integration across partners, systems, protocols, security requirements, formats and ERPs, in batch or real time.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

Related transactions

Related catalogs and pricing documents

All 21 catalogs and pricing documents

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