Federal Contracting by — NAICS Sector

NAICS Sector 11 covers agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries. Federal contracting in this sector includes USDA programs, forest management services for the U.S. Forest Service and BLM, wildlife conservation projects, agricultural research grants, and food supply chain contracts for military commissaries and federal institutions.

NAICS Sector 21 encompasses mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction. Federal contracting includes Department of Energy resource management, Strategic Petroleum Reserve operations, Bureau of Mines oversight, environmental remediation at former mining sites, and geological survey work for the USGS.

NAICS Sector 22 covers electric power generation, natural gas distribution, water and sewage treatment. Federal contracting involves base utility services for military installations, renewable energy projects on federal lands, power purchase agreements, water treatment at VA hospitals, and smart grid modernization for federal facilities.

NAICS Sector 23 is one of the largest federal contracting sectors, covering building construction, heavy civil engineering, and specialty trades. The Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), GSA, and VA are major buyers. Projects range from military base construction to federal building renovations, border wall infrastructure, and disaster recovery construction.

NAICS Sectors 31-33 cover the full range of manufacturing and represent the largest federal contracting category by dollar value. Defense manufacturing dominates, including aircraft (Lockheed Martin, Boeing), ships (Huntington Ingalls, General Dynamics), vehicles, weapons systems, ammunition, and electronics. Non-defense manufacturing includes pharmaceutical production, medical devices, and specialized equipment.

NAICS Sector 42 covers wholesale distribution of durable and nondurable goods. Federal contracting includes Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) supply chain operations, GSA wholesale distribution through the Global Supply program, medical and pharmaceutical distribution to VA and military health systems, and bulk fuel distribution to military installations worldwide.

NAICS Sectors 44-45 cover retail establishments. While less common in traditional federal contracting, this sector appears in military exchange services (AAFES, NEX), commissary operations (DeCA), GSA retail supply programs, and government purchase card transactions for office supplies, tools, and equipment at the local level.

NAICS Sectors 48-49 cover transportation services and warehousing. Federal contracting is substantial through USTRANSCOM military logistics, FAA air traffic management, TSA security services, USPS transportation contracts, military sealift operations, freight forwarding for overseas bases, and warehouse management at defense distribution centers.

NAICS Sector 51 covers publishing, broadcasting, telecommunications, and data processing. Federal contracting includes IT infrastructure services, telecommunications for military and civilian agencies, cloud computing (FedRAMP), cybersecurity operations, software licensing, media production for Armed Forces Network, and government website development.

NAICS Sector 52 covers financial services and insurance. Federal contracting includes Treasury Department financial management services, FDIC receivership operations, Federal Reserve support contracts, government-sponsored insurance programs (FEMA flood insurance, crop insurance), financial advisory services, and actuarial consulting for federal pension systems.

NAICS Sector 53 covers real estate, rental, and leasing activities. Federal contracting includes GSA property management and leasing (the government's largest landlord), military housing privatization (Cadence, Lendlease), equipment leasing for agencies, property appraisal services, and facility management for thousands of federal buildings nationwide.

NAICS Sector 54 is the second-largest federal contracting sector by number of awards. It encompasses consulting, engineering, scientific research, IT services, legal services, and accounting. Major buyers include DoD, NASA, DOE, and HHS. This sector drives the bulk of government IT modernization, systems engineering, program management, and R&D contracts.

NAICS Sector 55 covers holding companies and corporate management offices. While relatively uncommon in direct federal contracting, this sector appears in organizational management consulting, corporate governance advisory services, and management of federally-funded research centers (FFRDCs) like RAND, MITRE, and Aerospace Corporation.

NAICS Sector 56 is a major federal contracting sector covering staffing services, facility support, security guard services, janitorial services, landscaping, and waste management. Environmental remediation at Superfund sites, military base cleanup (BRAC), and nuclear waste management at DOE sites represent billions in annual contracts.

NAICS Sector 61 covers educational institutions and training services. Federal contracting includes military training programs, professional development courses for federal employees, language training (Defense Language Institute), flight training, technical certification programs, and educational support services for DoD schools serving military families worldwide.

NAICS Sector 62 is a massive federal contracting sector driven by VA healthcare (the nation's largest integrated health system), military health system (TRICARE), NIH research, CDC public health programs, HHS social services, and Indian Health Service operations. Contracts span hospital management, medical staffing, pharmaceutical services, and community health programs.

NAICS Sector 71 covers arts, entertainment, and recreation. Federal contracting includes Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs for military installations, Smithsonian Institution operations, National Park Service concession management, military fitness center operations, and cultural preservation projects for historic federal properties.

NAICS Sector 72 covers lodging and food service establishments. Federal contracting includes military dining facility operations, temporary lodging at installations, conference and event catering for agencies, food service at federal prisons (BOP), cafeteria operations in federal buildings, and per diem lodging contracts for government travelers.

NAICS Sector 81 covers repair and maintenance services, personal care, religious organizations, and civic associations. Federal contracting includes vehicle and equipment repair for military fleets, HVAC maintenance at federal facilities, religious support services (chaplain contracts), and grant-funded civic organization programs.

NAICS Sector 92 covers government entities including executive, legislative, and judicial functions, public safety, regulation, and international affairs. While government agencies themselves operate under this sector, federal contracting includes support services for courts, legislative support (CRS, GAO), regulatory compliance consulting, and international development programs through USAID and the State Department.