Research and development government contracts
In fiscal year 2026, federal agencies obligated $47.55B on research and development contracts so far (Defense contracts arrive about 90 days late, so the year's total is still rising). Department of Defense bought the most, followed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 159 research and development contract opportunities are open now on SAM.gov, and 5,354 contracts worth $102.41B with options end in the next 12 months.
Key facts · data as of Oct 21, 2026
- Obligations, FY2026 so far
- $47.55B
- Largest buyer
- Department of Defense ($29.53B)
- Largest winner
- LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP ($6.42B)
- Open on SAM.gov now
- 159 notices
- Ending in 12 months
- 5,354 contracts, $102.41B
- Small-business set-aside share
- at least 9%
Source: USAspending.gov prime awards (obligations: money committed) and SAM.gov contract notices, data as of Oct 21, 2026.
Cite this page: SpendQuery, Research and development government contracts, data as of Oct 21, 2026, https://spendquery.com/government-contracts/research-development
Research and development in engineering, physical and life sciences and biotechnology, for the Defense Department, NASA, the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and others. Much of the money pays for running government laboratories and big defense research programs.
Set-asides: at least 9% of FY2026's research and development contract dollars ($4.12B) went through contracts set aside for small businesses, most through small business and 8(a) set-asides. Many orders under larger contracts carry no set-aside code, so this counts only what is reported. How set-asides work →
Open notices
- "Provide specialized piping expertise overseeing the Craft Labor/Corrosion Control subcontractor for field modifications at KSC including but not limited to fabrication and installation of piping spool pieces, piping & tubing supports, flared & welded tubi · Special Notice · due 2026-10-22 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
- L-PBF Development of ODS Alloys for Recording Methane/Oxygen Combustion Properties · Special Notice · due 2026-10-22
- USSOCOM Open Call for Technical Experimentation 27-1: Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Diving (Diver Communications, Diver Propulsion, Underwater Interfaces) and Maritime Domain Situational Awareness Sensing Integration on USVs · Special Notice · due 2026-10-22
- Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML)-Lite Prototype Effort · Special Notice · due 2026-10-23
- Q--AMPLICON SEQUENCING SERVICES · Solicitation · due 2026-10-23
- Building America Subject Matter Expert Technical Support · Solicitation · due 2026-10-27 · No Set aside used
- Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) United States Mission Control Center (USMCC) Operations, Maintenance, and Technical Support · Sources Sought · due 2026-10-28 · No Set aside used
- NSWC-PHD MATAC OTA Request for Prototype Proposals: Prototypes and Experiments Rapid Fielding Sites (PERFS) · Special Notice · due 2026-10-28
Agencies buying research and development work, FY2026
- Department of Defense $29.53B
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration $8.14B
- Department of Energy $3.64B
- Department of Health and Human Services $3.51B
- General Services Administration $1.74B
- Department of Homeland Security $318.66M
- Department of Commerce $161.20M
- Department of Transportation $136.95M
Companies winning it, FY2026
- Lockheed Martin Corp $6.42B
- Fluor Corp $4.28B
- California Institute of Technology $2.26B
- RTX Corp $2.17B
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC $1.85B
- Leidos Holdings, Inc. $1.43B
- Northrop Grumman Corp $1.36B
- The Aerospace Corporation $1.12B
- Amentum Holdings, Inc. $972.78M
- The Mitre Corporation $946.75M
Where the work is, FY2026
- California $7.86B
- Virginia $5.46B
- Pennsylvania $5.06B
- Maryland $4.67B
- Alabama $4.46B
- New Jersey $2.53B
- Arizona $2.14B
- Ohio $1.60B
- Colorado $1.50B
- District of Columbia $1.40B
Money by year
Obligations (money committed) in prime awards, from USAspending.gov.
Contracts ending in the next 12 months
5,354 contracts, $102.41B with options. The largest:
| Contract | Incumbent | Ends | Value with options |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR001121C0068 DARPA RESEARCH PROGRAM | Bae Systems Information & Electronic Systems Integration Inc | 2026-10-22 | $85.56M |
| N0003021C1004 RELATIVE REFERENCE SENSOR REFRESH | Advanced Scientific Concepts, LLC | 2026-10-22 | $15.49M |
| N0001425C1505 ROBUST ENVIRONMENT NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY FOR ENHANCED RECOVERY TO NAVY SHIPS (RETERNS) | L3 Technologies, Inc. | 2026-10-22 | $5.39M |
| FA865125CB015 ENHANCED LETHAL MECHANISM ENABLING SEEKER FOR LOW-COST BASE DEFENSE MUNITION | Practical Energetics Research, Inc | 2026-10-22 | $1.80M |
| FA945124CX052 PATH TO PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT FOR ELECTRO-OPTICAL SENSOR SCHEDULING SOFTWARE MODERNIZATION | Duality Systems LLC | 2026-10-22 | $1.76M |
| FA864924P0026 NANOSTRUCTURED OPTICAL MATERIALS | Nanohmics Inc | 2026-10-22 | $1.25M |
| 80MSFC24CA013 ULTRA-STABLE TELESCOPE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS - CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES (ULTRA-CT) | Bae Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc. | 2026-10-23 | $8.55M |
| 80MSFC20F0056 THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM (SLS) SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND INTEGRATION OFFICE (SEIO) | The Aerospace Corporation | 2026-10-23 | $2.83M |
| N0002425CS002 BASE | BNNT LLC | 2026-10-23 | $1.70M |
| N6426724C0013 873AUTHORITY | Charles River Analytics, Inc. | 2026-10-23 | $1.50M |
How the government buys research and development work
- Small businesses can start with SBIR and STTR awards, which fund early-stage research without competing against large firms.
- Agencies also fund research through broad agency announcements and other transaction agreements, outside the usual solicitation process.
Industry codes
Federal contracts are filed under NAICS industry codes. This page counts these; each has its own page with every office that buys it and the newest awards.
- NAICS 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (Except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) · SBA small business size standard: 1,000 employees or fewer
- NAICS 541714 Research and Development in Biotechnology (Except Nanobiotechnology) · SBA small business size standard: 1,000 employees or fewer
- NAICS 541713 Research and Development in Nanotechnology · SBA small business size standard: 1,000 employees or fewer
Getting started
- Register in SAM.gov, the step before any federal award.
- How small-business set-asides work and whether you count as small.
- How to read a SAM.gov notice and decide whether to bid.
- Get new research and development notices by email when they are posted.
Related lines of work
From USAspending.gov prime awards (obligations: money committed) and SAM.gov notices, updated daily. Sources and limits