Government Telephone Answering Services Contracts
NAICS 561421 ยท Telephone Answering Services
Government telephone answering services contracts totaled $690M across 436 awards from FY2024 to FY2026. Obligated spending was down 41.5% in FY2026 vs FY2025, and the Department of State was the largest buyer, with $585M, or 85% of the total over the period.
Key figures
In FY2026, contract obligations were $161,915,142 across 227 awards with activity that year, a change of -41.5% from $276,903,265 in FY2025. From FY2024 to FY2026, obligations totaled $689,735,624 across 436 awards.
- Obligated in FY2026
- $162M
- Awards in FY2026
- 227
- Change vs FY2025
- -41.5%
- Total, FY2024 to FY2026
- $690M
Note: FY2026 ended on Sep 30, 2026. The Department of Defense publishes contract data with a 90-day delay, so FY2026 totals may still rise as late reports arrive.
Telephone Answering Services contract spending by year
Federal telephone answering services contracts per fiscal year (October to September), under NAICS 561421. The table below lists the same numbers.
| Fiscal year | Obligated | Awards | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $161,915,142 | 227 | -41.5% |
| FY2025 | $276,903,265 | 224 | +10.4% |
| FY2024 | $250,917,217 | 238 | n/a |
About government telephone answering services contracts
Federal spending on telephone answering services contracts fell 35% from FY2024 ($251M) to FY2026 ($162M), peaking in FY2025. FY2026 closed recently, and Defense Department contracts are reported up to 90 days late, so its total may still rise.
Spending is highly concentrated: the top 3 contractors account for 89% of the total. A few large firms win most of this work, so subcontracting can be the easiest way in.
The Department of State spends the most on telephone answering services contracts (85%), followed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The states with the most of this work are District of Columbia, Massachusetts and California.
NAICS 561421 (Telephone Answering Services) is part of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management Services sector.
Top telephone answering services government contractors
Companies ranked by contract dollars under NAICS 561421 (Telephone Answering Services).
| # | Contractor | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peckham Vocational Industries, Inc. | $578,219,979 | 83.8% |
| 2 | National Telecommuting Institute, Inc. | $18,332,197 | 2.7% |
| 3 | Innovation at Work Inc | $16,891,384 | 2.4% |
| 4 | Magellan Solutions USA Inc. | $10,807,658 | 1.6% |
| 5 | Central Association for the Blind, Inc. | $9,982,120 | 1.4% |
| 6 | Bobby Dodd Institute, Inc. | $9,245,951 | 1.3% |
| 7 | Employment Source Inc | $5,787,627 | 0.8% |
| 8 | Newview Oklahoma, Inc. | $5,729,288 | 0.8% |
| 9 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | $4,482,961 | 0.6% |
| 10 | Ivyhill Technologies LLC | $4,402,617 | 0.6% |
Agencies buying telephone answering services
Federal agencies ranked by contract dollars under NAICS 561421.
| # | Agency | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of State | $584,601,296 | 84.8% |
| 2 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $59,656,179 | 8.6% |
| 3 | Department of Defense | $22,542,689 | 3.3% |
| 4 | Department of the Treasury | $19,978,005 | 2.9% |
| 5 | Department of Transportation | $8,081,985 | 1.2% |
| 6 | Department of Agriculture | $1,594,816 | 0.2% |
| 7 | Department of Justice | $1,414,778 | 0.2% |
| 8 | Department of the Interior | $608,689 | <0.1% |
| 9 | Office of Personnel Management | $426,755 | <0.1% |
| 10 | Department of Commerce | $182,835 | <0.1% |
Where telephone answering services contract work is performed
States ranked by contract dollars, using the place of performance on each award.
| # | State | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $584,301,324 | 84.7% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $18,751,493 | 2.7% |
| 3 | California | $17,437,792 | 2.5% |
| 4 | New York | $15,375,953 | 2.2% |
| 5 | Georgia | $8,746,769 | 1.3% |
| 6 | Tennessee | $5,648,600 | 0.8% |
| 7 | Louisiana | $5,068,854 | 0.7% |
| 8 | New Jersey | $4,521,547 | 0.7% |
| 9 | Kentucky | $4,107,344 | 0.6% |
| 10 | Maryland | $4,082,462 | 0.6% |
Recent telephone answering services contract awards
The latest telephone answering services contracts, newest first. Each award ID links to its record on USAspending.gov.
| Start date | Recipient | Agency and description | Amount | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | Jordan Mobile Telephone Services | Department of StatePOST AMMAN - MOBILE TELEPHONE SERVICES / SEP 2026 JAN 2027 | $72,493 | 19J01026F0315 |
| Sep 21, 2026 | Central Association for the Blind, Inc. | Department of TransportationACTION: NEW AWARD TITLE: NECC SUPPORT SERVICES RENEWAL THIS ACQUISITION IS FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE NEW ENTRANT CONTACT CENTER (NECC) FOR THE PURPOSE OF VERIFYING, VALIDATING, TRACKING AND REPORTING EAC | $2,563,214 | 693JJ426C000009 |
| Sep 21, 2026 | Sheargold Limited | Department of StatePHONES | $18,475 | 19N10226P1129 |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Innovation at Work Inc | Department of Veterans AffairsTELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR | $454,319 | 36C24826P1213 |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | Department of StateCELL PHONES EQUIPMENT | $33,749 | 19PM0726P0551 |
| Aug 31, 2026 | Cable & Wireless Panama S.a. | Department of StateCELL PHONES SERVICES | $18,041 | 19PM0726P0542 |
| Aug 19, 2026 | Jordan Mobile Telephone Services | Department of StatePOST AMMAN - MOBILE TELEPHONE SERVICES / SEP 2026 JAN 2027 | $0 | 19J01026F0282 |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Office HQ Pty Limited | Department of StatePR15911834 MISSION WIDE AFTER-HOURS ANSWERING SERVICES 01SEP26-31AUG27 | $25,018 | 19AS2026C0006 |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Valley Administrative Services LLC | Department of StateREGIONAL SWITCHBOARD SERVICES FOR MISSION BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | $41,808 | 19GE5026F0440 |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Answerplus Inc | Department of StateCALL ANSWERING SERVICES AT THE CONSULATE GENERAL VANCOUVER. | $25,674 | 19CA7726P0088 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Metropolitan Communication Services, Inc. | Department of CommerceAFTER HOURS SUPPORT FOR PRE-TRIP NOTIFICATION SYSTEM | $21,000 | 1305M326P0208 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | Department of State. | $47,559 | 19UK5626P0786 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | G & P Technology Services LLC | Department of Veterans AffairsAFTER HOUR CALL SERVICES FOR THE RICHARD L. ROUDEBUSH (RLR) VAMC | $52,000 | 36C25026C0132 |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Valley Administrative Services LLC | Department of StateANSWERING SERVICES | $13,729 | 19J01026P1247 |
| Jul 23, 2026 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | Department of StateIRM-SP CELLPHONE STATE LINES - ICASS/PROGRAM - AUG 2026 - JUL 2027 | $33,553 | 19BR9326F0129 |
| Jul 23, 2026 | Innovation at Work Inc | Department of Veterans AffairsNORTHPORT SWITCHBOARD SERVICES | $362,835 | 36C24226P0770 |
| Jul 23, 2026 | Valley Administrative Services LLC | Department of StateMISSION DENMARK: SWITCHBOARD SERVICES, WORKING HOURS ONLY | $23,458 | 19GE5026F0404 |
| Jul 22, 2026 | The South Sudanese Mobile Telephone (Zain). Co. LTD | Department of StateCELLPHONE SERVICE | $30,000 | 19SS3026F0050 |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Innovation at Work Inc | Department of Veterans AffairsPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES AT ERIE VAMC EO 14398 | $162,520 | 36C24426P0426 |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | Department of StateCELLPHONE SERVICES FOR CASABLANCA, AUG 1, 2026-JULY 31, 2027 | $79,477 | 19M05526F0219 |
| Jul 15, 2026 | Lumen Technologies Government Solutions, Inc | Department of CommerceTELEPHONE SERVICE | $6,564 | 1331L526C13350014 |
| Jul 14, 2026 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | Department of StateKOR DT - GSM MOBILE PLAN | $33,462 | 19PS4726P0148 |
| Jul 14, 2026 | Ottawa County E911 Governing Authority | Department of the Interior911 SERVICES FOR OJS MIAMI AGENCY | $4,000 | 140A0826C0004 |
| Jul 8, 2026 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | Department of StateCELLPHONE SERVICES FOR RABAT, AUG 1, 2026-JUL 31, 2027 | $123,084 | 19M05526F0214 |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Jordan Mobile Telephone Services | Department of StatePOST AMMAN - MOBILE TELEPHONE SERVICES / AUG 2026 | $18,647 | 19J01026F0238 |
Open telephone answering services government bids
No open telephone answering services bids right now. Check the open bids page, which is updated daily from SAM.gov.
How to win government telephone answering services contracts
Federal telephone answering services contracts are posted on SAM.gov under NAICS 561421. Register your business free on SAM.gov with this code, watch for telephone answering services bids, and look for small business set-asides: many telephone answering services contracts for small business are reserved for small firms.
Explore government telephone answering services contracts by state, agency and contractor
- Department of State contracts
- Department of Veterans Affairs contracts
- Department of Defense contracts
- Department of the Treasury contracts
- Department of Transportation contracts
- Government contracts in District of Columbia
- Government contracts in Massachusetts
- Government contracts in California
- Government contracts in New York
- Government contracts in Georgia
- Peckham Vocational Industries government contracts
Frequently asked questions
- What NAICS code is used for government telephone answering services contracts?
- Federal telephone answering services contracts use NAICS 561421 (Telephone Answering Services). List this code in your free SAM.gov registration to be found for these contracts.
- Who are the largest telephone answering services government contractors?
- By contract dollars under NAICS 561421 from FY2024 to FY2026, the largest were Peckham Vocational Industries, Inc. ($578M), National Telecommuting Institute, Inc. ($18.3M) and Innovation at Work Inc ($16.9M).
- Which agencies buy the most telephone answering services?
- From FY2024 to FY2026, the biggest buyers were the Department of State ($585M), the Department of Veterans Affairs ($59.7M) and the Department of Defense ($22.5M).
- Where are government telephone answering services contracts performed?
- By contract dollars, the most federal telephone answering services work is performed in District of Columbia ($584M), Massachusetts ($18.8M) and California ($17.4M).
- Is federal spending on telephone answering services contracts growing?
- Federal telephone answering services contract obligations fell 35% from FY2024 ($251M) to FY2026 ($162M), peaking in FY2025. FY2026 closed recently, and Defense Department contracts are reported up to 90 days late, so its total may still rise.
- Do I qualify as a small business for telephone answering services contracts?
- It depends on the SBA size standard for NAICS 561421, which is set either by average annual revenue or by number of employees. Check the current table of size standards on sba.gov before you bid on small business set-asides.
- What do I need to bid on government telephone answering services contracts?
- An active SAM.gov registration (free) with NAICS 561421 listed, the licenses and insurance your state requires for telephone answering services work, and examples of similar past work. Some solicitations also ask for specific certifications or security clearances.