An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Small Business | April 25, 2025

Unit of Issue, Quantity Per Unit Pack, and Unit of Measure

Purpose: To expand Supplier's knowledge of Unit of Issue (UI), Quantity per Unit Pack (QUP), and Unit of Measure (U/M) as it relates to contracts/orders.

Jump To:

Resources and Terms Glossary

Finding UI and QUP in Award/Contract

Open the solicitation or award document to the award's continuation page "Section B" and find information labeled UI (Unit of Issue), QUP (Quantity per Unit pack), and U/M (Unit of Measure) in Contract Line Item's Section.

For more information, see DFARSPGI 204.7103 Contract Line Items.

Back to Top

Unit of Issue (UI)

Unit of Issue (UI) is a two-letter designation indicating the count, measurement, container, or form of an item of supply the Government needs.

For DLA DoD contracts the DoD UI Codes will be used, not commercial UI codes.

Examples include:

  • 3 BX - 3 Boxes
  • 100 YD - 100 Yards
  • 5 EA - 5 Each

There are two types of UI:

  • Non-definitive - not based on a measurement like a bag, box, container, package, or roll.
  • Definitive - based on a defined measurement standard like each, yard, or foot.

Note: For DLA DoD contracts the DoD UI Codes will be used.

Back to Top

Quantity per Unit Pack (QUP)

Quantity per Unit Pack (QUP) is the number of UIs bound or packaged in a unit pack.

The QUP is used on definitive units of issue and may represent an intermediate pack.

If the solicitation or award says the QUP is one, then the Supplier should have only one item per unit pack. If the QUP is 10, then each package may contain up to 10.

Typically, examples that are QUP of one are:

  • Repairables
  • Sets and Kits
  • Delicate or Fragile Items
  • Irregularly shaped and/or sized items

Typically, QUPs greater than one are from formulas based upon an item's weight, dimensions, cost, and Method of Preservation.

Back to Top

Unit of Measure

The Unit of Measure (U/M) defines the measurement of the Unit of Issue.

Example: The U/I is one package of material; each package of material contains twelve rolls (QUP), and each roll is three feet long which is the U/M.

Back to Top

UI, QUP, and U/M Working Together

Example from an actual award from Section B of the Award's Continuation Pages:

Example of Unit of Issue, Quantity per Unit Pack, and Unit of Measure in section B of an awards continuation page with: A. 1050ft Coiled on Reel/Spools; B. Unit of Issue is RL; C. Quantity is 27 units of Reel/Spool; and D. Quantity per Unit Pack (QUP) is 001.
Example of Unit of Issue, Quantity per Unit Pack, and Unit of Measure in section B of an awards continuation page with: A. 1050ft Coiled on Reel/Spools; B. Unit of Issue is RL; C. Quantity is 27 units of Reel/Spool; and D. Quantity per Unit Pack (QUP) is 001.
Unit of Issue, Quantity per Unit Pack and Unit of Measure
Example of Unit of Issue, Quantity per Unit Pack, and Unit of Measure in section B of an awards continuation page with: A. "1050ft Coiled on Reel/Spools"; B. Unit of Issue is RL; C. Quantity is 27 units of Reel/Spool; and D. Quantity per Unit Pack (QUP) is 001.
Download Image
Image Details
Photo By: John McCormick
VIRIN: 240829-D-D0441-9017

  1. "1050ft Coiled on Reel/Spools" - gives the expected:
    • Unit of Measure (U/M) which is feet (i.e., ft)
    • Unit of Issue which is Reel/Spools
    • Quantity per Reel/Spool which is 1050ft
  2.  On the contract line item's detail section it re-states Unit of Issue which is RL (i.e., Reel/Spool)
  3. On the contract line item's detail section it re-states Quantity is 27 units of Reel/Spool
  4. In the Prep for Delivery Section Quantity Per Unit Pack (QUP) is 001. Meaning the Quantity Per Unit Pack of 1 Reel/Spool has 1050ft Unit of Measure.

The example award is asking for 27 units of Reel/Spool (i.e., RL) to which each RL needs 1050ft. Therefore, 1050ft *27RL = 28,350ft that needs to be delivered on.

If the Supplier delivered 10 Reel/Spools with 2,835 feet on each Reel and placed all 10 Reels in one container, this would be an example of the Supplier failing to implement proper Unit of Measure (U/M) (too many ft per roll) as well as incorrect Quantity Per Unit Pack (10 in packaging container instead of 1).

If the Supplier delivered 1050ft of product in a box and shipped this would be an example of the Supplier failing to implement proper Unit of Issue (U/I).

Note: Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 domain code values are the commercial equivalents to DoD UI/UM codes used by the Government. For conversion information between the Government UI/UM codes and Commercial ASC X12 UI/UM codes, see the UI/UM code lookup tool.

Practical Example

Unit of Issue (UI) and Quantity Per Unit Pack (QUP) example showing the unit of issue for a nail example is EA which is each. QUP in example is 10 EA and the QUP will be within the single Unit Pack.
Unit of Issue (UI) and Quantity Per Unit Pack (QUP) example showing the unit of issue for a nail example is EA which is each. QUP in example is 10 EA and the QUP will be within the single Unit Pack.
Unit of Issue, Quantity per Unit Pack and Unit of Measure
Unit of Issue (UI) and Quantity Per Unit Pack (QUP) example showing the unit of issue for a nail example is EA which is each. QUP in example is 10 EA and the QUP will be within the single Unit Pack.
Download Image
Image Details
Photo By: John McCormick
VIRIN: 240906-D-D0441-9001

Back to Top

Results of Wrong Implementation

Failure to meet UI, QUP, and U/M requirements from the solicitation or award may result in:

  • a Supply Discrepancy Report
  • delay of payment
  • additional remediation fees

Back to Top

Addressing UI, QUP, and U/M Concerns

If a Supplier has questions concerning the Unit of Issue, QUP, or U/M requirements, the Vendor should reach out to their Contract Administrator for assistance. 

 To find the Contract Administrator for each MSC:

Back to Top

Resources:

Terms Glossary

Find meanings for acronyms, abbreviations and codes used throughout the process article below in the table:

Term Used Meaning/Definition
DFARSPGI Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Procedures, Guidance, and Information
LOGDRMS Logistics Data Resources Management System
PCDC Proposed Cataloging Data Change
QUP Quantity Per Unit Pack
UI Unit of Issue
U/M Unit of Measure