01 / NAICS Market Profile
NAICS 541712 Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (Except Biotechnology) Federal Contracts
North American Industry Classification System code 541712
Federal contract activity classified under Research And Development In The Physical, Engineering, And Life Sciences (Except Biotechnology) across FY 2020–FY 2026. Net obligations include both new obligations and subsequent deobligations.
02 / Market Size
How large is the NAICS 541712 federal market?
03 / Spending Trend
NAICS 541712 contract spending by fiscal year
Annual obligations, activity, and participation across the same FY 2020–FY 2026 profile window.
Latest closed fiscal year$6.60B
FY 2026| Fiscal year | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Customers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $19.17B | 27,706 | 2,134 | 65 | — |
| FY 2021 | $15.10B | 22,891 | 1,668 | 57 | −21.2% |
| FY 2022 | $13.01B | 19,265 | 1,354 | 48 | −13.8% |
| FY 2023 | $11.05B | 13,843 | 973 | 46 | −15.1% |
| FY 2024 | $9.40B | 12,075 | 825 | 45 | −14.9% |
| FY 2025 | $8.84B | 9,144 | 621 | 37 | −6.0% |
| FY 2026 | $6.60B | 4,797 | 380 | 38 | −25.3% |
04 / Top Federal Customers
Which federal agencies buy most in this industry?
Ranked by net obligations during FY 2020–FY 2026.
| Federal customer | Code | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | 5700 | $27.42B | 30,179 | 543 | 33.0% |
| DEPT OF THE ARMY | 2100 | $15.84B | 20,489 | 897 | 19.0% |
| NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | 8000 | $10.51B | 9,927 | 279 | 12.6% |
| FEDERAL ACQUISITION SERVICE | 4732 | $6.69B | 3,276 | 33 | 8.0% |
| MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA) | 97JC | $5.80B | 3,966 | 170 | 7.0% |
| ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF | 8900 | $5.62B | 408 | 20 | 6.8% |
| DEPT OF THE NAVY | 1700 | $5.56B | 13,281 | 502 | 6.7% |
| NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH | 7529 | $1.67B | 6,557 | 230 | 2.0% |
| DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY (DTRA) | 9761 | $1.34B | 1,746 | 53 | 1.6% |
| FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION | 6920 | $766.86M | 1,398 | 51 | 0.9% |
05 / Contracting Offices
Which contracting offices buy in NAICS 541712?
Ranked by net obligations during FY 2020–FY 2026.
| Office | Code | Agency | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FA8702 AFLCMC PZE NON PEO | FA8702 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | $9.50B | 3,053 | 2 | 11.4% |
| SC CHICAGO SERVICE CENTER | 892430 | ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF | $5.60B | 210 | 2 | 6.7% |
| W6QK ACC-RSA | W31P4Q | DEPT OF THE ARMY | $4.29B | 5,174 | 159 | 5.2% |
| FA8721 AFLCMC PZE CM | FA8721 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | $3.90B | 4,273 | 13 | 4.7% |
| NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER | 80MSFC | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $3.45B | 1,544 | 44 | 4.1% |
| NAVSEA HQ | N00024 | DEPT OF THE NAVY | $3.00B | 5,887 | 31 | 3.6% |
| NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER | 80JSC0 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $2.80B | 1,515 | 37 | 3.4% |
| GSA FAS AAS FEDSIM | 47QFCA | FEDERAL ACQUISITION SERVICE | $2.60B | 474 | 9 | 3.1% |
| FA8622 AFLCMC AZS EPASS | FA8622 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | $2.40B | 2,960 | 13 | 2.9% |
| MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA) | HQ0851 | MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA) | $2.20B | 475 | 5 | 2.6% |
06 / Top Vendors
Which contractors lead the NAICS 541712 market?
| Vendor | Obligations | Actions | Customers | Market share | Latest activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | $8.65B | 2,418 | 2 | 10.4% | Jul 13, 2026 |
| BROOKHAVEN SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC | $5.60B | 207 | 1 | 6.7% | Sep 30, 2026 |
| SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | $4.52B | 1,922 | 10 | 5.4% | Sep 29, 2026 |
| TORCH TECHNOLOGIES INC | $2.83B | 1,992 | 4 | 3.4% | Jul 13, 2026 |
| AEROJET ROCKETDYNE OF DE, INC | $2.49B | 135 | 3 | 3.0% | Sep 25, 2026 |
| JACOBS TECHNOLOGY INC. | $2.40B | 1,308 | 1 | 2.9% | Jul 13, 2026 |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC, THE | $2.25B | 5,125 | 13 | 2.7% | Sep 4, 2026 |
| RAYTHEON COMPANY | $2.17B | 484 | 7 | 2.6% | Jul 7, 2026 |
| ODYSSEY SYSTEMS CONSULTING GROUP, LTD. | $1.80B | 1,823 | 6 | 2.2% | Jul 10, 2026 |
| BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON INC. | $1.73B | 3,390 | 10 | 2.1% | Sep 30, 2026 |
07 / Product and Service Mix
What products and services are purchased under NAICS 541712?
| PSC | Description | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R425 | SUPPORT- PROFESSIONAL: ENGINEERING/TECHNICAL | $17.76B | 18,019 | 256 | 21.4% |
| AC61 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: ELECTRONICS/COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT (BASIC RESEARCH) | $8.12B | 3,788 | 130 | 9.8% |
| M1HA | OPERATION OF GOVERNMENT-OWNED CONTRACTOR-OPERATED (GOCO) R&D FACILITIES | $5.60B | 207 | 1 | 6.7% |
| R707 | SUPPORT- MANAGEMENT: CONTRACT/PROCUREMENT/ACQUISITION SUPPORT | $3.20B | 3,670 | 15 | 3.9% |
| AZ12 | R&D- OTHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (APPLIED RESEARCH/EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT) | $2.62B | 6,813 | 294 | 3.1% |
| AC13 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT | $2.50B | 1,857 | 75 | 3.0% |
| AD24 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: SERVICES (ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT) | $2.50B | 4,290 | 35 | 3.0% |
| AR21 | R&D- SPACE: SCIENCE/APPLICATIONS (BASIC RESEARCH) | $2.11B | 519 | 27 | 2.5% |
| AC24 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; R&D ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES | $2.10B | 1,304 | 23 | 2.5% |
| AC32 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEFENSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES; APPLIED RESEARCH | $2.05B | 3,294 | 94 | 2.5% |
08 / Buying Pattern
How does the government buy in NAICS 541712?
| Common action type | Obligations | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| DELIVERY ORDER | $57.10B | 82,805 |
| DEFINITIVE CONTRACT | $25.09B | 22,114 |
| BPA CALL | $949.73M | 4,151 |
| PURCHASE ORDER | $31.51M | 651 |
09 / Recent Contract Awards
What was awarded most recently in NAICS 541712?
10 / Market Interpretation
How should contractors evaluate this market?
Start with the spending direction
Compare annual obligations with actions and vendor participation. Growth driven by only a few large actions represents a different opportunity from broad, recurring demand.
Follow the actual buyers
Move from federal customers to contracting offices. Offices reveal where acquisition responsibility and recurring purchasing activity are concentrated.
Measure accessible demand
Use competition, small-business participation, incumbent vendors, and PSC mix before treating the full $83.17B market as addressable.