Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contracts

About contracting with the HHS

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.

Read the full HHS contracting guide →