Analysis

This page summarizes FPDS Query results for Authorized by Statute Federal Contracts. It shows how much federal contract value falls into this procurement pattern, how many awards match the filter, and which agencies and vendors account for the largest share of obligations in the current result set.

The available trend series runs from FY 1979 to FY 2018. This makes it possible to evaluate whether the pattern is stable across time, expanding, declining, or concentrated in specific fiscal periods.

Summary Query Logic

The headline metrics on this page come from dedicated KPI and share-of-total query blocks. These precomputed queries define the numeric baseline for the rest of the analysis.

Query Used — Summary Metrics

SELECT
     sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
    count() AS award_count,
    sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) / nullIf(count(),
    0) AS avg_award_size 
FROM
     fpds.data 
WHERE
     contract_type = 1
    AND content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description = 'AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE'
    AND content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate != ''

Explanation

This query aggregates federal contract awards that are not competed due to statutory authorization, focusing exclusively on prime contracts with valid signed dates. It sums the total obligated amount, counts the number of awards, and calculates the average award size for contracts justified under this specific reason for no competition. The output table presents core summary metrics: the total dollars obligated, the total count of awards, and the average obligation per award, reflecting the scale and frequency of these statutory-authorized contracts. Analysts should interpret these metrics as a baseline for understanding the financial magnitude and distribution of contracts awarded without competition due to statutory authority. This section supports decisions related to assessing the prevalence and fiscal impact of non-competitive awards, identifying trends over time, and evaluating agency reliance on statutory justifications, which can inform risk assessments, compliance reviews, and strategic sourcing considerations. Follow-up questions might include which agencies or vendors dominate these awards, how obligation trends evolve annually, or how these contracts compare to other reasons for non-competition.

Query Used — Share of Total Spending

SELECT
     sumIf(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount,
    content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description = 'AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE') AS filtered_obligated,
    sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
    filtered_obligated / total_obligated * 100 AS share_percent 
FROM
     fpds.data 
WHERE
     contract_type = 1
    AND content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description IS NOT NULL
    AND content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description != ''
    AND content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate != ''

Explanation

This query aggregates federal contract obligations specifically for awards justified by the statutory authority reason for non-competition, identified as "AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE." It calculates the total obligated amount for these contracts and compares it to the overall obligated amount for all non-competitive contracts with valid competition reason data and signed dates. The resulting output row quantifies the dollar value of obligations awarded under this statutory authority and expresses it as a percentage share of total contract spending within the filtered dataset. Analysts should interpret this section as a measure of how much federal contracting relies on statutory authorization to justify sole-source awards, reflecting both the scale and proportion of such contracts relative to the broader non-competitive market. This insight supports procurement oversight by highlighting the financial impact of statutory exceptions and can prompt further investigation into agency practices, vendor concentration, or trends over time in the use of this justification. Follow-up questions might include which agencies or vendors dominate these awards, how the share changes annually, or how statutory justifications compare to other non-competitive reasons.

Trend Over Time

This section tracks how obligations and award counts move across fiscal years for the current competition or reason-not-competed filter.

Query Used

SELECT
     if(toUInt8(substring(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate,
    6,
    2)) >= 10,
    toUInt16(substring(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate,
    1,
    4)) + 1,
    toUInt16(substring(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate,
    1,
    4))) AS fiscal_year,
    sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
    count() AS award_count 
FROM
     fpds.data 
WHERE
     contract_type = 1
    AND content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description = 'AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE'
    AND content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate != '' 
GROUP BY
     fiscal_year 
ORDER BY
     fiscal_year ASC

Explanation

This query aggregates federal contract awards that were justified by statutory authority, focusing exclusively on prime contracts signed each fiscal year. Each row in the output represents a fiscal year, showing the total obligated amount and the count of awards where competition was not conducted due to authorization by statute. Analysts can interpret this table as a year-by-year summary of how much federal spending and how many contracts rely on statutory exceptions to competition requirements. This trend analysis supports understanding shifts in procurement practices related to statutory authority, enabling market researchers to identify periods of increased reliance on such justifications. It also informs contractors and analysts about potential opportunities or risks associated with non-competitive awards authorized by statute. Follow-up questions might include examining which agencies or vendors dominate these awards or assessing the impact of legislative changes on these trends.

Fiscal Year	Total Obligated	Award Count
1979	$42.04M	55
1980	$91.78M	71
1981	$7.30M	84
1982	$17.07M	91
1983	$887.29M	74
1984	$2.86B	85
1985	$2.01B	112
1986	$4.61B	163
1987	$4.40B	386
1988	$4.01B	464
1989	$1.01B	1,649
1990	$2.75B	2,080
1991	$2.83B	2,462
1992	$1.33B	6,485
1993	$2.10B	3,015
1994	$3.40B	4,731
1995	$5.43B	8,854
1996	$8.24B	31,731
1997	$914.53M	3,980
1998	$1.18B	6,396
1999	$1.58B	7,363
2000	$2.63B	14,202
2001	$6.97B	37,822
2002	$11.12B	34,380
2003	$8.67B	52,673
2004	$7.27B	67,656
2005	$8.11B	67,212
2006	$7.81B	80,139
2007	$9.61B	103,741
2008	$10.67B	169,674
2009	$11.27B	222,652
2010	$11.74B	199,274
2011	$10.88B	176,343
2012	$9.57B	158,219
2013	$8.16B	80,591
2014	$8.21B	76,842
2015	$7.68B	79,943
2016	$7.75B	68,194
2017	$7.84B	71,985
2018	$4.24B	36,757

Top Agencies

This section ranks federal agencies by total obligations under the current page filter.

Query Used

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__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description = 'AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE'
    AND content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate != '' 
GROUP BY
     agency_id 
ORDER BY
     total_obligated DESC 
LIMIT  10

Explanation

This query aggregates federal contract awards that are non-competitive due to statutory authorization, focusing exclusively on direct contracts (contract type 1) with valid signed dates. Each row in the output represents a federal agency identified by its contracting office agency ID and name, showing the total obligated amount and the count of awards justified by statutory authority under the current filter. Analysts should interpret this table as a ranking of agencies by the volume of obligations tied to statutory justifications, highlighting which agencies rely most heavily on this specific reason for non-competitive awards. This section supports decision-making related to oversight, budget allocation, and compliance monitoring by identifying key agencies with significant statutory-authorized contracting activity. Follow-up questions may include examining the types of services or products procured under these awards, trends over time, or comparisons with other reasons for non-competition to assess risk or efficiency in procurement practices.

#	Agency ID	Agency Name	Total Obligated	Award Count
1	5700	DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE	$48.14B	97,293
2	2100	DEPT OF THE ARMY	$31.06B	163,399
3	1700	DEPT OF THE NAVY	$15.93B	115,379
4	3600	VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF	$12.30B	164,157
5	4740	PUBLIC BUILDINGS SERVICE	$11.69B	94,960
6	9760	TRICARE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY (TMA)	$8.21B	947
7	97DH	DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY (DHA)	$6.22B	842
8	8900	ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF	$5.32B	26,632
9	97AS	DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY	$5.24B	54,182
10	8000	NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION	$5.14B	18,163

Top Vendors

This section ranks contractors by total obligations under the current page filter.

Query Used

SELECT
     content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName AS vendor_name,
    sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
    count() AS award_count 
FROM
     fpds.data 
WHERE
     contract_type = 1
    AND content__award__competition__reasonNotCompeted__description = 'AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE'
    AND content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate != ''
    AND content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName IS NOT NULL
    AND content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName != '' 
GROUP BY
     vendor_name 
ORDER BY
     total_obligated DESC 
LIMIT  10

Explanation

This query aggregates federal contract awards that are non-competitive due to statutory authorization, focusing exclusively on prime contracts with valid signed dates and identified vendors. Each row in the output table represents a single vendor, showing the total obligated amount awarded under this justification and the count of such awards they received. Analysts should interpret these results as a ranking of the top vendors by dollar value obligated through contracts authorized by statute, providing insight into which companies dominate this specific procurement category. This section supports market research by highlighting key players benefiting from statutory authority, enabling analysts to assess vendor concentration and identify potential dependencies. It also informs strategic decisions on competitive dynamics and compliance monitoring, prompting follow-up questions about the nature of the statutory justifications and the distribution of awards across agencies or contract types.

#	Vendor Name	Total Obligated	Award Count
1	GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION	$3.46B	101
2	MARTIN'S POINT HEALTH CARE, INC.	$3.45B	221
3	JVYS	$2.74B	1,795
4	MCDONNELL DOUGLAS FIN CORP	$2.69B	2
5	DISABLED VETERANS BUS ASSOC	$2.38B	2
6	MARTIN MARIETTA CORPORATION	$2.26B	157
7	CHRISTUS HEALTH	$2.13B	223
8	JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL SERVICES CORP	$1.90B	75
9	LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION	$1.90B	735
10	MC DONNELL DOUGLAS FIN CORP	$1.87B	150

Raw KPI Values

Raw Total Obligated

$209,899,874,888.79

Raw Award Count

1,878,630

Raw Avg Award Size

$111,730.29

Raw Share Percent

4.00%

Overall Conclusion

Federal contracts authorized by statute represent a substantial segment of federal procurement, accounting for approximately $210 billion in obligations across nearly 1.9 million awards, which constitutes about 4% of total federal contracting spend. The average award size of roughly $112,000 indicates a mix of both moderate and large-scale contracts within this category. Historical trends show a marked increase in obligated amounts from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, reflecting growing reliance on statutory authority for contract justification during that period. Agency concentration is notable, with the Department of the Air Force, Army, and Navy collectively responsible for a significant portion of the obligated funds, underscoring the defense sector’s predominant role in this procurement rationale. Other agencies such as Veterans Affairs and the Public Buildings Service also contribute meaningfully, highlighting statutory authority’s application beyond defense. Vendor concentration reveals a diverse supplier base, ranging from large defense contractors like General Dynamics to smaller entities with fewer but substantial awards, suggesting varied procurement strategies under statutory authority. For analysts, contractors, and procurement researchers, this data underscores the importance of statutory justification as a stable and sizeable procurement driver, particularly within defense-related agencies. Understanding the scale and distribution of these contracts can inform risk assessments, competitive strategy, and policy analysis related to non-competitive federal acquisitions.

Method Notes

This page is generated from a stored FPDS Query payload. The values shown here come from precomputed query blocks for KPI, share, yearly trend, top agencies, and top vendors.

Each analytical section can include the underlying query used together with an AI-generated explanation of what the result set represents and how it should be interpreted.

Use this page as a starting point for market structure review, then continue into deeper filtering and custom SQL in FPDS Query.

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