A notice of award is a form commonly issued by a project owner as a legal document notifying the contractor he will be given the work on a certain contract.

A notice to proceed is a form commonly issued at the same time as or after the notice of award by a project owner as a legal document notifying the contractor he may proceed with the preliminary activities required to get the project underway. The contractor often requests this form as a safety net before he orders materials or commits verbally or in writing to subcontractors and vendors.