The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that gives the public access to records and documents maintained by government agencies. FOIA applies to all federal agencies and is designed to promote transparency in government operations. Through FOIA, individuals or businesses are able to request records related to their procurement activities from applicable government offices. This allows for unbiased assessment of requests for proposals, ensuring fair competition amongst vendors and reducing opportunities for waste and misuse of taxpayer dollars.