Federal agencies obligated $75.9B across 500,323 contract awards in May 2026. Department of Defense leads the agencies with $49.3B (65% of the total). The 20 agencies ranked below account for $75.5B (99%).
Based on GovChime analysis of 500,323 FPDS/SAM.gov contract awards with obligations in May 2026. Report generated September 18, 2026.
Methodology: Ranks the top 20 agencies by contract obligations signed in May 2026, summed from FPDS/SAM.gov transactions via GovChime as of September 18, 2026. Share is each entry's portion of all obligations in the period.
Key Findings
- Department of Defense leads all agencies with $49.3B — 64.9% of all federal contract obligations in May 2026.
- The top 5 agencies account for $66.2B (87.2% of all federal contract obligations in May 2026), showing significant concentration in award spending.
- Across 20 agencies, there were 498,661 individual contract awards with an average obligated value of $151K.
- The gap between #1 (Department of Defense) and #20 (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation) is 937x — $49.3B vs. $52.5M.
Agencies Rankings
| # | Name | Total Value | Share | Awards | Avg Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Defense | $49.3B | 64.9% | 327,771 | $150K |
| 2 | Department of Homeland Security | $8.0B | 10.6% | 3,956 | $2.0M |
| 3 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $4.6B | 6.0% | 12,954 | $353K |
| 4 | General Services Administration | $2.3B | 3.0% | 124,927 | $19K |
| 5 | Department of Energy | $2.0B | 2.6% | 653 | $3.1M |
| 6 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $1.6B | 2.1% | 1,604 | $1.0M |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | $1.6B | 2.1% | 3,754 | $429K |
| 8 | Department of Transportation | $1.2B | 1.6% | 2,077 | $573K |
| 9 | Department of Agriculture | $1.1B | 1.5% | 3,429 | $327K |
| 10 | Department of State | $816.7M | 1.1% | 3,106 | $263K |
| 11 | Department of Justice | $689.1M | 0.9% | 5,918 | $116K |
| 12 | Department of Commerce | $621.2M | 0.8% | 1,099 | $565K |
| 13 | Department of the Interior | $614.1M | 0.8% | 4,125 | $149K |
| 14 | Department of the Treasury | $537.3M | 0.7% | 1,194 | $450K |
| 15 | Social Security Administration | $143.0M | 0.2% | 265 | $540K |
| 16 | Environmental Protection Agency | $107.3M | 0.1% | 778 | $138K |
| 17 | Department of Labor | $81.5M | 0.1% | 827 | $99K |
| 18 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | $73.1M | 0.1% | 66 | $1.1M |
| 19 | International Boundary And Water Commission: U.S.-Mexico | $57.0M | 0.1% | 29 | $2.0M |
| 20 | Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation | $52.5M | 0.1% | 129 | $407K |
Market Analysis
Department of Defense
In May 2026, the Department of Defense awarded $49.3B across 327,771 contracts, showing strong demand in NAICS codes 541330 and 541715. It released 423 full and open competition awards and 43 small business set-asides. Contractors pursuing DoD must consider the large share of full and open competitions.
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Homeland Security awarded $8.0B across 3,956 contracts, with a focus on NAICS codes 541330 and 541511. It awarded 351 full and open competitions, 6 small business set-asides, and 6 women-owned small business set-asides. Contractors targeting DHS must consider its mix of competition types.
Department of Veterans Affairs
General Services Administration
Trends & Opportunities
- Spread: The largest obligated agency, Department of Defense at $49.3B, outspent the smallest, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation at $52.5M, by $49.2B. The spread indicates a need to diversify agency targets.
- Set-asides: 6.4% of awards were small business set-asides, and 1.6% were women-owned small business set-asides. Contractors should qualify for these set-asides to access these opportunities.
What to Watch
- Department of Defense: Monitor full and open competitions in NAICS 541330.
- Department of Homeland Security: Prepare for full and open competitions.
- Department of Veterans Affairs: Target NAICS 621399.
What This Means for Contractors
- High concentration risk: The top 3 agencies control 81% of award value. Contractors focused on diversification should consider the remaining agencies for less competitive opportunities.
- Watch the mid-tier: Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Health and Human Services (ranked 5–10) represent growth areas that may be less saturated than the top positions.
Explore the full dataset on GovChime
Explore agency award data →Data sourced from FPDS/SAM.gov via GovChime. Report generated September 18, 2026.