Federal Government Contracting Statistics 2026
The U.S. federal government is the single largest buyer of goods and services in the world. Every year, federal agencies award hundreds of billions of dollars in contracts to businesses of all sizes across every industry.
Data from USAspending.gov, FPDS, and SAM.gov
How much does the federal government spend on contracts?
The U.S. federal government spends approximately $750 billion annually on contracts, making it the single largest buyer of goods and services in the world. Over 300,000 prime contracts are awarded each year across every major industry, with the Department of Defense accounting for over half of all spending.
- Annual Spending
- ~$750B
- Contracts/Year
- 300,000+
- Small Biz Goal
- 23%
Data sourced from SAM.gov, USAspending, FPDS, Grants.gov. 160+ supplementary federal data feeds. View methodology →
Key Statistics
Spending by Agency
The Department of Defense accounts for more than half of all federal contract spending. The remaining spending is distributed across civilian agencies, with the VA, HHS, and DOE rounding out the top five. Explore individual agency pages for detailed breakdowns.
| Rank | Agency | Annual Spending | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Defense (DoD) | $400B | 53% |
| 2 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $40B | 5.3% |
| 3 | Department of Health and Human Services | $30B | 4.0% |
| 4 | Department of Energy | $28B | 3.7% |
| 5 | General Services Administration | $25B | 3.3% |
| 6 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $22B | 2.9% |
| 7 | Department of Homeland Security | $20B | 2.7% |
| 8 | Department of Justice | $12B | 1.6% |
| 9 | Department of the Treasury | $10B | 1.3% |
| 10 | Department of Transportation | $9B | 1.2% |
Spending by Category
Federal spending spans every major industry. Information technology leads all categories, followed by professional services and construction. Use PSC codes and NAICS codes to find opportunities in your specific industry.
Small Business Trends
The federal government sets annual goals for contracting with small businesses. These goals are mandated by the Small Business Act and tracked by the SBA. Browse all set-aside programs to learn about eligibility requirements.
| Category | Goal | Achieved | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business (Overall) | 23% | 26.5% | Exceeded |
| Small Disadvantaged Business (8(a)) | 5% | 11.4% | Exceeded |
| Women-Owned Small Business | 5% | 5.2% | Met |
| Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned | 3% | 4.6% | Exceeded |
| HUBZone | 3% | 2.8% | Not Met |
Learn more about small business set-asides, 8(a) certification, and HUBZone eligibility.
Top Contract Vehicles
Government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) and multi-agency contracts allow agencies to streamline procurement. These vehicles represent some of the largest spending channels in the federal government. Browse all contract vehicles for a complete list.
OASIS+
$60BProfessional services — management consulting, engineering, logistics, scientific, financial, and health services.
GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS)
UnlimitedThe government's largest and most widely used contract vehicle, covering over 11 million products and services across all industries.
SEWP V
$15BIT hardware, software, cloud, and services. One of the fastest ordering vehicles in the federal government.
Alliant 2
$50BIT solutions including cybersecurity, cloud, network infrastructure, software development, and IT consulting.
CIO-SP4
$50BIT services and solutions for civilian and defense agencies, with a strong set-aside for small businesses.
8(a) STARS III
$50BIT services exclusively for 8(a) certified small businesses. Covers emerging tech, cybersecurity, and cloud.
Search All Federal Opportunities
Bureauify indexes contracts, grants, and spending data from SAM.gov, USAspending, FPDS, and Grants.gov. Search across all data sources in one place.
150M+ government records · 160+ gov/news sources · Updated daily