Contracting office · Agricultural Research Service

USDA ARS AFM APD

USDA ARS AFM APD obligated $381M on federal contracts in FY2026 across 2,914 contract actions (+27% vs FY2025). Its largest recipient was MERRICK & COMPANY ($33.8M).

Obligations · FY2026
$381M
Actions
2,914
New awards: 1,405
Sole-source
15%
Small business
—
Open in the contracts explorerFederal contracts

Spending by fiscal year

Obligations per federal fiscal year (October–September).

  1. 191.7MFY2017
  2. 81.5MFY2018
  3. 90.3MFY2019
  4. 136.8MFY2020
  5. 91.4MFY2021
  6. 99.8MFY2022
  7. 110.1MFY2023
  8. 151MFY2024
  9. 300.2MFY2025
  10. 381MFY2026

Top recipients

Obligations in FY2026.

  1. MERRICK & COMPANY$33.8M8.9%
  2. MILL CREEK FIRELAKE JV LLC$24.9M6.5%
  3. COVINGTON FIRELAKE JV, LLC$24.9M6.5%
  4. MCKENZIE CONSTRUCTION & SITE DEVELOPMENT LLC$11.4M3.0%
  5. CAS FSE JV II LLC$11.2M2.9%
  6. YOUR RECRUITING COMPANY, INC.$7.4M1.9%
  7. SH MECHANICAL INC.$7.3M1.9%
  8. PROCON INTERNATIONAL LLC$6.3M1.7%
  9. BROWN POINT FACILITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC$5.9M1.6%
  10. FIRELAKE CONSTRUCTION INC$5.8M1.5%

What was bought · Where the work was performed

Obligations in FY2026.

What was bought

  1. Construction & real property$142.7M37%
  2. Professional services$85.3M22%
  3. Other equipment & supplies$58.3M15%
  4. Equipment maintenance$45.8M12%
  5. Facilities & utilities$22.4M5.9%
  6. IT & telecom$17.9M4.7%
  7. Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles$4.6M1.2%
  8. Research & development$1.6M0.4%
  9. Health & medical$1.1M0.3%
  10. Transportation & logistics$991.7K0.3%
  11. Fuel$116.7K0.0%
  12. Education & social services$101.7K0.0%

Where the work was performed

  1. Kansas$89.5M23%
  2. Maryland$55.4M15%
  3. Louisiana$24.2M6.4%
  4. California$20.6M5.4%
  5. North Dakota$14.8M3.9%
  6. District of Columbia$13.7M3.6%
  7. Georgia$12.2M3.2%
  8. Oklahoma$11.5M3.0%
  9. Illinois$11.4M3.0%
  10. Iowa$10.8M2.8%

Integrity signals

Shares of the year's obligations, next to the country's.

  • Low competition30%
    US 39% · $113.3M
  • Sole-source awards15%
    US 30% · $56.1M
  • Single-offer competitions15%
    US 8.8% · $57.1M
  • Urgency justifications9.1%
    US 5.1% · $34.7M
  • Year-end rush34%
    US 5.6% · $128.3M
  • Undefinitized contracts5.3%
    US 5.0% · $20.2M
  • Time-and-materials pricing1.3%
    US 4.2% · $5.1M

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Contracts terminated for default: 1

Largest awards

  1. DESIGN-BUILD-BRIDGING CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE U.S. NATIONAL POULTRY RESEARCH CENTER (USNPRC), SEPRL CAMPUS IN ATHENS, GA THIS IS A TWO-PHASE DESIGN-BUILD ACQUISITION. ONE SOLICITATION COVERS BOTH PHASES. PHASE I IS THE PRE-SELECTION PHASE IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL "SHORTLIST" MAXIMUM OF (4) OF THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED OFFERORS. ONLY THOSE FIRMS SELECTED IN PHASE I WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO THE PHASE II. DETAILED DESIGN CRITERIA WILL THEN BE ADDED BY AMENDMENT TO THE SOLICITATION TO START THE PHASE II STAGE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. EACH FIRM SELECTED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PHASE II WILL THEN SUBMIT A DESIGN-BUILD TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, THE REMAINDER OF THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY PROPOSAL AND PRICE PROPOSAL.$149.6M
    M. A. MORTENSON COMPANY· Clarke County, GA· Construction & real property· Jul 31, 2017 – Dec 5, 2025· AG3K25C170001
  2. NBAF - ACCELERATED PROJECT MANAGEMENT, STAND-UP PLANNING AND RECOMMISSIONING$35.8M
    MERRICK & COMPANY· Riley County, KS· Professional services· Aug 29, 2025 – Sep 25, 2026· 1232SA25C0028
  3. SECURITY GUARD SERVICES$25.2M
    DEFENSE CONTRACTING ACTIVITY, LLC· Riley County, KS· Facilities & utilities· Mar 4, 2021 – May 27, 2026· 12805B21F0011
  4. NBAF - BAS SUPPORT$20.1M
    MERRICK & COMPANY· Pottawatomie County, KS· Professional services· Feb 20, 2026 – Jul 8, 2026· 1232SA26C0001
  5. CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUMA SUGARCANE LAB/OFFICE BUILDING$20M
    COVINGTON FIRELAKE JV, LLC· Terrebonne Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Sep 9, 2026 – Sep 9, 2026· 1232SA26C0016
  6. BELTSVILLE AREA RESEARCH CENTER (BARC) STEAM SYSTEM REPAIR$18.3M
    CPF LLC· Prince George's County, MD· Construction & real property· Mar 31, 2017 – Sep 28, 2026· AG32SCC160024
  7. CONSTRUCTION OF SUGARCANE GREENHOUSES - USDA, ARS, SOUTHEAST AREA / HOUMA, LA$13.2M
    JUSTIN J. REEVES, L.L.C· Terrebonne Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Aug 7, 2025 – Aug 10, 2026· 1232SA25C0020
  8. PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) SERVICES TO PERFORM OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC NIFA GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. NIFA REQUIRES CONTRACTOR SUPPORT FOR BEST EFFORT IN MEETING THE OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND ENHANCEME$10.6M
    TCG INC· District of Columbia, DC· IT & telecom· Feb 29, 2024 – Apr 27, 2026· 1232SA24F0023

Committees that oversee and fund it

Congressional committees whose jurisdiction includes this agency, and the appropriations subcommittees that write its spending bill (Analisa's reading of the House and Senate rules; committees share jurisdiction). Leaders as currently published.

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Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.