This page summarizes federal obligations under NAICS 541710, showing a concentrated portfolio of large research and development awards in the physical, engineering, and life sciences. The Department of Energy accounts for most spending, followed by NASA, with annual obligations ranging from $8.60 billion to $10.53 billion in the five-year window.
NAICS Industry
NAICS 541710 Federal Contract Obligations (Last 5 Years)
Federal procurement activity for NAICS 541710 covers research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, totaling $46.67 billion across 4,193 award actions over the last five years.
Totals reflect the last five years of readable FPDS obligations and award action counts for NAICS 541710; agency and vendor rankings are based on obligated dollars.
NAICS Code
541710
Industry
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES
Total Obligated
46.67 billion
46,670,652,002.66
Award Actions
4,193
Average Action Value
11,130,611.01
About NAICS 541710 federal contract activity
NAICS 541710 covers research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, and it represents a major procurement category in FPDS over the last five years. Total obligations reached 46.67 billion across 4,193 awards, with an average award value of 11.13 million, indicating a mix of large, recurring R&D vehicles and smaller targeted procurements.
Agency demand and leading federal buyers
The Department of Energy dominates this NAICS, accounting for 43.04 billion of obligations across 1,456 awards, or the clear majority of spending in the category. NASA is a distant second at 3.64 billion and 1,008 awards, while the Army, Missile Defense Agency, and Bureau of the Fiscal Service each represent comparatively small shares, showing that activity is concentrated in a few science- and mission-driven buyers.
Vendor concentration and leading contractors
Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC is the largest vendor by obligated value at 15.98 billion, followed by Battelle Memorial Institute at 7.77 billion and UChicago Argonne, LLC at 5.80 billion. The vendor mix is heavily weighted toward national laboratories, research institutions, and university-affiliated operators, which is consistent with the technical and specialized nature of this NAICS.
Annual contract trend over the analysis window
Annual obligations remained elevated throughout the period, ranging from 8.60 billion in 2022 to a peak of 10.53 billion in 2023. Awards were highest in 2021 and 2024, while 2025 shows 9.53 billion across 620 awards, suggesting sustained demand with year-to-year shifts in award volume and timing.
How to interpret this page
This page summarizes FPDS obligations and award counts mapped to NAICS 541710 for the last five fiscal years in the dataset provided. Agency and vendor rankings are based on total obligated dollars, and the annual trend reflects obligations by fiscal year rather than forecasted or adjusted values.
Top Agencies
SELECT
agency_id,
agency_name,
total_obligated,
award_count,
formatReadableQuantity(total_obligated) AS total_obligated_readable
FROM
(
SELECT
content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID AS agency_id,
anyHeavy(content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID__name) AS agency_name,
sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
count() AS award_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE
contract_type = 1
AND content__award__productOrServiceInformation__principalNAICSCode = '541710'
AND content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID IS NOT NULL
AND content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID != ''
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) >= toStartOfYear(now()) - INTERVAL 5 YEAR
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) < toStartOfYear(now())
GROUP BY agency_id
)
ORDER BY total_obligated DESC
LIMIT 10| Agency ID | Agency Name | Total Obligated | Readable | Award Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8900 | ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF | 43,042,890,849.57 | 43.04 billion | 1,456 |
| 8000 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | 3,640,164,315.20 | 3.64 billion | 1,008 |
| 2100 | DEPT OF THE ARMY | 19,502,860.96 | 19.50 million | 454 |
| 97JC | MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA) | 16,154,100.89 | 16.15 million | 63 |
| 2036 | BUREAU OF THE FISCAL SERVICE | 10,348,839.22 | 10.35 million | 24 |
| 9761 | DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY (DTRA) | 76,107.61 | 76.11 thousand | 56 |
| 6925 | FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1 |
| 12D0 | FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION BUSINESS CENTER | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1 |
| 7008 | U.S. COAST GUARD | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9 |
| 7530 | CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES | -86.02 | -86.02 | 5 |
Insight
Over the last 5 years, obligations in NAICS 541710 totaled $46.67 billion across 4,193 awards, with an average award value of $11.13 million. The Department of Energy accounted for $43.04 billion and 1,456 awards, representing the clear preponderance of obligations in this category. NASA was the only other major obligor at $3.64 billion across 1,008 awards, while all remaining agencies were each below $20 million, indicating a highly concentrated spending profile. Several smaller agencies recorded nominal or zero obligations, and CMS posted a negative obligation amount.
Top Vendors
SELECT
vendor_name,
cage_code,
total_obligated,
award_count,
formatReadableQuantity(total_obligated) AS total_obligated_readable
FROM
(
SELECT
content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName AS vendor_name,
anyHeavy(content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode) AS cage_code,
sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
count() AS award_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE
contract_type = 1
AND content__award__productOrServiceInformation__principalNAICSCode = '541710'
AND content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName IS NOT NULL
AND content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName != ''
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) >= toStartOfYear(now()) - INTERVAL 5 YEAR
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) < toStartOfYear(now())
GROUP BY vendor_name
)
ORDER BY total_obligated DESC
LIMIT 10| Vendor | CAGE Code | Total Obligated | Readable | Award Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | 4K7L1 | 15,975,246,939.69 | 15.98 billion | 147 |
| BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE | 1A453 | 7,769,425,449.66 | 7.77 billion | 327 |
| UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC | 4E6E0 | 5,795,195,583.93 | 5.80 billion | 194 |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | 1GGD0 | 3,876,299,554.24 | 3.88 billion | 120 |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | 1KN27 | 3,286,968,153.05 | 3.29 billion | 218 |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (1741) | 1V9S8 | 2,689,810,029.94 | 2.69 billion | 71 |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | 04236 | 2,314,107,069.98 | 2.31 billion | 327 |
| FERMI RESEARCH ALLIANCE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | 4GUN4 | 1,938,146,172.20 | 1.94 billion | 124 |
| JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY A SURA/CSC COMPANY | 48VY8 | 1,146,611,856.62 | 1.15 billion | 88 |
| ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INCORPORATED | 4X357 | 621,166,103.56 | 621.17 million | 66 |
Insight
Over the last 5 years, NAICS 541710 obligated $46.67 billion across 4,193 awards, with a high average award value of $11.13 million. Obligations are concentrated among a small set of major research institutions and federally affiliated entities: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC leads with $15.98 billion, followed by Battelle Memorial Institute ($7.77 billion) and UChicago Argonne, LLC ($5.80 billion). The top 10 vendors account for a substantial share of total obligations, indicating a highly concentrated vendor base with recurring awards to established R&D performers.
Annual Trend
SELECT
year,
total_obligated,
award_count,
formatReadableQuantity(total_obligated) AS total_obligated_readable
FROM
(
SELECT
toYear(parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate)) AS year,
sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
count() AS award_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE
contract_type = 1
AND content__award__productOrServiceInformation__principalNAICSCode = '541710'
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) >= toStartOfYear(now()) - INTERVAL 5 YEAR
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) < toStartOfYear(now())
GROUP BY year
)
ORDER BY year DESC| Year | Total Obligated | Readable | Award Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9,531,449,665.98 | 9.53 billion | 620 |
| 2024 | 8,622,420,464.12 | 8.62 billion | 878 |
| 2023 | 10,532,698,214.50 | 10.53 billion | 752 |
| 2022 | 8,601,151,940.51 | 8.60 billion | 863 |
| 2021 | 9,382,931,717.55 | 9.38 billion | 1,080 |
Insight
Over the last 5 years, NAICS 541710 obligations totaled $46.67 billion across 4,193 awards, averaging $11.13 million per award. Annual obligations were relatively stable, ranging from $8.60 billion in 2022 to $10.53 billion in 2023, with 2025 at $9.53 billion and 2024 at $8.62 billion. Award counts were highest in 2021 (1,080) and lower in 2025 (620), indicating that obligation volume has been sustained with varying award dispersion rather than a consistent increase in transaction count.
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