The Department of Health and Human Services is the federal government's largest civilian R&D buyer and one of the largest sources of biomedical, public health, and health-IT contracts. HHS contracting is heavily decentralised — each operating division runs its own acquisition shop with delegated authority. The National Institutes of Health is by far the largest contracting office within HHS, awarding billions of dollars annually for clinical trials, laboratory services, animal-care contracts, and research-support services through its 27 institutes and centres. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention buys heavily for epidemiology, laboratory science, public health communications, and emergency-response capabilities. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is the principal federal funder of medical countermeasures (vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics) for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and pandemic threats — BARDA contracts often run into the hundreds of millions of dollars and include both R&D and procurement components. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is one of the largest single buyers of health-IT services, claims-processing systems, and actuarial support. The FDA buys for laboratory services, scientific advisory work, and IT modernisation. For small businesses, HHS runs an active 8(a) and HUBZone programme, and most of its operating divisions accept SBIR/STTR submissions. The Indian Health Service runs separate contracting for tribal health facility construction, medical supplies, and clinical services — and has its own Buy Indian Act authority that gives preference to Indian Economic Enterprises. Vendors targeting HHS should hold the appropriate research and consulting NAICS codes (541714 biotech R&D, 541715 physical/engineering/life sciences R&D, 541611 management consulting, 541720 social science R&D). Many HHS buys also flow through the NIH GSA Schedule and the CDC IDIQ vehicles. See our federal contract search for filtering HHS opportunities by sub-agency.
Main buying offices within HHS
Department of Health and Human Services contracting is delivered through a network of buying offices, each with its own delegated authority and mission focus:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
- Indian Health Service (IHS)
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Primary NAICS codes for HHS work
Most HHS contract awards are issued under a relatively concentrated set of NAICS codes. Vendors should align at least one primary NAICS to the work they target:
Annual contracting spend
Approximately $35 billion per year in contract awards. Spending is distributed unevenly across the buying offices listed above, with the largest dollars concentrated in major weapons systems, infrastructure, healthcare, or mission-critical R&D programmes depending on the agency.
Focus areas where HHS buys most heavily
- Biomedical research and clinical trials
- Public health surveillance and response
- Health IT and CMS systems
- Pharmaceutical development and procurement
- Behavioral health and substance use
- Indian Health Service medical and construction
How to start bidding on HHS contracts
The first step for any federal contracting target is an active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID, current representations & certifications, and selected NAICS codes aligned to the work you do. Beyond that, HHS-specific paths typically include: registering on the agency-specific vendor portals where they exist, pursuing the relevant socioeconomic certifications (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB/VOSB, WOSB/EDWOSB), and identifying the relevant GSA Schedule or government-wide IDIQ vehicles your work falls under. For larger or specialised programmes, subcontracting under an established prime contractor on an existing IDIQ is often the most accessible entry point. Our SAM.gov registration guide and 8(a) eligibility guide walk through the foundational steps in detail.
Finding live HHS solicitations
Every HHS solicitation above the simplified acquisition threshold is published on SAM.gov, but the native search experience is well-known for being slow and difficult to filter. WinAContract maintains a NAICS- and agency-aware search layer over SAM.gov data, with saved searches, email alerts on new postings, and structured filtering by set-aside, deadline, and contract value. See our SAM.gov alternative, federal contract search, and best SAM.gov alternatives pages for context.
Other federal agency pages
Founding membership
WinAContract is opening with a capped Founding 200 programme — $999 once for Year 1 free at US launch plus 50% off forever. If your business targets HHS work, locking in founding-member pricing now is the cheapest way to get the full platform when it goes live.