AwardFind

Federal Agency Contracts

Federal agencies awarded $2.3T in contracts from FY2024 to FY2026. This page ranks all 67 agencies by contract spending; the Department of Defense alone accounted for 59%.

Open an agency to see its top contractors, what it buys (by industry), where the work is performed and its recent contract awards.

How federal agencies award contracts

Each agency buys through its own contracting offices. Purchases above the micro-purchase level are usually posted as open government contracts on SAM.gov, and many are set aside for small businesses. The federal government has a goal of awarding at least 23% of its prime contract dollars to small businesses.

Knowing which agencies buy what you sell, and which companies already win that work, helps you choose where to bid. The figures here are contract obligations reported on USAspending.gov.

Federal agencies ranked by contract spending

Federal agencies ranked by contract spending
#AgencyObligated
1Department of DefenseDOD$1,342,467,467,734
2Department of Veterans AffairsVA$229,487,283,591
3Department of EnergyDOE$149,728,404,672
4Department of Homeland SecurityDHS$125,263,333,926
5General Services AdministrationGSA$79,040,211,072
6Department of Health and Human ServicesHHS$76,016,672,949
7National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA$46,859,640,166
8Department of AgricultureUSDA$32,002,840,970
9Department of TransportationDOT$31,706,479,933
10Department of StateDOS$31,233,364,626
11Department of JusticeDOJ$28,264,176,689
12Department of the TreasuryTREAS$24,833,814,337
13Department of the InteriorDOI$21,507,072,571
14Department of CommerceDOC$14,409,821,612
15Agency for International DevelopmentUSAID$12,502,149,474
16Department of EducationED$8,073,329,974
17Department of LaborDOL$6,202,161,305
18Social Security AdministrationSSA$5,857,213,910
19Environmental Protection AgencyEPA$5,184,687,033
20National Science FoundationNSF$2,109,106,306
21Securities and Exchange CommissionSEC$1,621,088,355
22Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentHUD$1,300,261,306
23Smithsonian InstitutionSI$1,175,859,569
24Pension Benefit Guaranty CorporationPBGC$842,295,111
25Office of Personnel ManagementOPM$830,477,980
26National Archives and Records AdministrationNARA$666,450,258
27Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNRC$570,251,492
28Small Business AdministrationSBA$417,039,894
29Federal Communications CommissionFCC$392,610,889
30Government Accountability OfficeGAO$351,598,056
31Consumer Financial Protection BureauCFPB$348,937,339
32Peace CorpsPC$331,842,042
33U.S. Agency for Global MediaUSAGM$300,686,858
34U.S. International Development Finance CorporationDFC$299,209,466
35Federal Trade CommissionFTC$298,867,404
36District of Columbia CourtsDC COURTS$240,924,122
37Commodity Futures Trading CommissionCFTC$236,935,019
38Executive Office of the PresidentEOP$214,842,095
39Millennium Challenge CorporationMCC$194,552,886
40Corporation for National and Community ServiceCNCS$188,402,099
41National Gallery of ArtNGA$181,403,156
42Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionEEOC$162,847,855
43Export-Import Bank of the United StatesEXIM$137,373,276
44Court Services and Offender Supervision AgencyCSOSA$133,212,735
45Railroad Retirement BoardRRB$124,085,598
46Consumer Product Safety CommissionCPSC$108,008,792
47National Labor Relations BoardNLRB$83,485,635
48National Transportation Safety BoardNTSB$74,824,991
49United States Trade and Development AgencyUSTDA$49,319,426
50Federal Election CommissionFEC$49,117,956
51International Trade CommissionUSITC$42,744,273
52Institute of Museum and Library ServicesIMLS$33,563,402
53National Endowment for the ArtsNEA$20,487,721
54Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety BoardDNFSB$19,375,190
55Federal Maritime CommissionFMC$18,214,806
56Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and EfficiencyCIGIE$17,389,277
57Selective Service SystemSSS$14,276,207
58Merit Systems Protection BoardMSPB$13,889,378
59Federal Mediation and Conciliation ServiceFMCS$11,326,202
60Federal Labor Relations AuthorityFLRA$7,816,444
61John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsKENNEDY CENTER$7,462,115
62Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely DisabledABILITYONE$7,263,104
63United States Chemical Safety BoardCSB$5,997,578
64National Endowment for the HumanitiesNEH$5,815,358
65Occupational Safety and Health Review CommissionOSHRC$4,638,172
66Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall FoundationUDALL$2,522,049
67American Battle Monuments CommissionABMC$1,245,379
68Federal Housing Finance AgencyFHFA$645,666
69Administrative Conference of the U.S.ACUS$155,970

Guides to winning agency contracts

Defense and civilian agency contract spending

The Department of Defense obligated $1.3T on contracts from FY2024 to FY2026, 59% of all federal contract spending. Civilian agencies together obligated $942B (41%), led by agencies such as Veterans Affairs, Energy, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security.

For a small business, civilian agencies often buy everyday services close to home: cleaning, landscaping, building maintenance, IT support and training. Open any agency to see what it buys.

How to win federal agency contracts

  1. Pick two or three agencies that buy what you sell, using the rankings on each agency page.
  2. Read their recent contract awards and see which contractors win them; those firms are competitors or possible teaming partners.
  3. Contact the agency's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) and ask about upcoming contracts.
  4. Watch open government contracts from those agencies and respond to sources sought notices early.

Federal contracting terms

Contracting officer
The government official with the authority to award, change and end contracts for an agency.
OSDBU
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization: the office in most federal agencies that helps small businesses work with that agency.
Solicitation
A notice asking businesses to submit bids, quotes or proposals for a contract.
Set-aside
A contract reserved for small businesses, or for a group such as 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
IDIQ contract
Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity: a contract for an unknown quantity of work over a set period, with task or delivery orders placed as needed.
GSA Schedule
The GSA Multiple Award Schedule: long-term contracts with pre-negotiated prices that federal agencies can order from directly.
Micro-purchase
A small purchase under the micro-purchase threshold that an agency can make without competition, often with a government purchase card.

Frequently asked questions

Which federal agency spends the most on contracts?
The Department of Defense obligated $1.3T on contracts from FY2024 to FY2026, 59% of the total for all agencies listed here. Next were the Department of Veterans Affairs ($229B) and the Department of Energy ($150B).
What do federal agencies buy?
Almost everything: construction and facilities maintenance, IT services and software, engineering, health care, research, professional services, aircraft and ships, food, fuel and office supplies. Each agency page lists the industries (NAICS codes) it spends the most on.
How do I find contracting opportunities with a federal agency?
Federal agencies post contracting opportunities above the micro-purchase level on SAM.gov under Contract Opportunities, where you can filter by agency, industry code and set-aside. You need a free SAM.gov registration to bid.
What is an agency's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)?
Most federal agencies have an OSDBU, an office that helps small businesses work with that agency. It can explain what the agency buys, how it buys it and who to talk to about upcoming contracts.