Department of Energy (DOE) contracts

About contracting with the DOE

The Department of Energy is unusual among federal agencies in that the majority of its operational footprint is delivered through Management and Operating (M&O) contractors that run the network of DOE national laboratories and major sites. These M&O contractors — companies like Battelle, UT-Battelle, Triad National Security, Fluor, and others — operate sites such as Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, Sandia, Pacific Northwest, Argonne, Lawrence Livermore, Hanford, and the Savannah River Site. From a vendor perspective, this means a large share of DOE-funded procurement opportunities are issued as subcontracts by these M&O contractors, not as direct DOE prime awards on SAM.gov. Both prime and subcontract opportunities are publicly listed but require different search approaches. The National Nuclear Security Administration is the largest semi-autonomous unit, managing the nuclear weapons stockpile and naval reactors — its associated lab and production complex is a heavy buyer of specialised engineering services, security guard services, and construction. The Office of Environmental Management runs one of the largest federal cleanup programmes in the country, with multi-decade contracts at Hanford, Savannah River, and other former weapons sites — these are dominated by NAICS 562910 (remediation) and 237990 (heavy civil). The Office of Science funds basic research across the lab system. EERE issues funding opportunities and procurement contracts for renewable energy, building efficiency, and vehicle technology research. Small businesses can pursue DOE work through the SBIR/STTR programme (DOE is among the largest SBIR funders), through Mentor-Protégé Agreements at the national labs, and through direct prime awards in the lower-dollar-value range. Vendors should align with NAICS 541715 (R&D), 562910 (remediation), 541330 (engineering), and the construction codes. Subcontracting opportunities at the labs are listed on individual lab procurement portals as well as on SAM.gov in many cases. See our federal contract search page for tools to filter DOE opportunities.

Read the full DOE contracting guide →