Department of the Interior
Abbreviation: DOI
Secretary of the Interior (as of 2026): Doug Burgum
2026 Budget: $18B
CGAC Code: 1400
Website: doi.gov
The Department of the Interior manages public lands, natural resources, and cultural heritage. It is the steward of more than 500 million surface acres (about one-fifth of the land in the United States) and 700 million acres of subsurface minerals.
Interior also upholds the United States' trust responsibilities to federally recognized tribes and the insular areas. Its bureaus run the National Park Service, USGS, Bureau of Reclamation, BLM, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sub-Departments
Bureaus, services, and major components within DOI.
Bureau of Indian Affairs / Bureau of Indian Education
Provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Bureau of Land Management
Manages 245 million acres of public land for multiple uses including grazing, energy, recreation, and conservation.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Administers offshore oil, gas, and renewable energy leases on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Oversees safety and environmental compliance of offshore energy operations on the Outer Continental Shelf.
National Park Service
Preserves more than 430 national parks, monuments, battlefields, and historic sites.
Office of Insular Affairs
Coordinates federal policy with the U.S. territories and administers compacts of free association.
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Regulates surface coal mining and administers the Abandoned Mine Land reclamation fund.
Bureau of Reclamation
The nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second-largest hydroelectric producer in the western U.S.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Administers the Endangered Species Act, the National Wildlife Refuge System, and migratory bird conservation.
U.S. Geological Survey
The nation's civilian mapping, earth-science, and natural hazards research agency.
How to Win DOI Contracts
Winning work at the Department of the Interiormeans understanding a procurement culture that blends rigorous compliance, deep mission focus, and a preference for vendors who can speak the agency's language from day one. This guide walks through how DOI buys, the vehicles it uses, and the steps your company should take to go from registered vendor to awarded contractor.
Understanding DOI Procurement
The Department of the Interior obligates roughly $6-7B in contracts annually across the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs/Education, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and others. Interior manages about one-fifth of U.S. land.
Interior procurement spans facilities and construction on federal lands, wildland fire support, scientific research, tribal infrastructure, water and power generation (BOR), and offshore energy oversight (BOEM/BSEE). Seasonal surge in wildland fire and park operations is a defining feature.
How DOI Buys
Interior Business Center (IBC) operates as a shared-services contracting office. Bureaus also maintain their own contracting offices. Interior uses GSA MAS, OASIS+, and agency-specific IDIQs heavily.
Wildland fire procurement follows the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) model with pre-season vehicle calls and seasonal task orders. Construction on federal lands uses IDIQ construction contracts with multi-year term options.
Major Contract Vehicles
- Interior Business Center (IBC) Shared Services— Acquisition support for Interior and other federal customers.
- NIFC Wildland Fire Vehicles— Pre-season fire suppression, aviation, and base-camp services IDIQs.
- DOI IT Services IDIQs— Multi-bureau IT services, modernization, and cyber work.
- OASIS+— Primary vehicle for Interior professional services.
- GSA MAS— Dominant for commercial IT, equipment, and logistics.
Step 1: Get Registered and Compliant
Required Registrations
DOI-Specific Requirements
Certification Programs
Step 2: Identify Opportunities
Primary Sources
Key Offices
Top Contract Types
Step 3: Position Your Company
Build Relationships
Relevant NAICS Codes
- 541512–Computer Systems Design
- 541330–Engineering Services
- 561210–Facilities Support Services
- 237310–Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
- 115310–Forestry Support Activities
- 541715–Scientific R&D
- 236220–Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
Step 4: Develop Winning Proposals
Technical Approach
Past Performance
Pricing Strategy
Winning Strategies
- Specialize by bureau and geography. NPS work in the Intermountain Region is a different market than BLM Alaska.
- Pursue Section 638 and Buy Indian Act opportunities if you are a Tribal or Indian-owned firm; significant set-aside volume.
- Enter through wildland fire support contracts; NWCG-qualified vendors build long-term Interior relationships quickly.
- Track Bureau of Reclamation infrastructure investment (drought resilience, dam safety); a growing procurement area.
- Partner with architecture/engineering primes on IDIQ construction teams; A&E sub positions lead to specialty primes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pricing without accounting for remote field logistics. Interior field sites are often hundreds of miles from commercial air service.
- Ignoring cultural resource and environmental compliance. NHPA and NEPA shortfalls kill proposals and, later, performance ratings.
- Chasing too many bureaus at once. Each bureau’s procurement shop has its own evaluation lens.
Small Business Programs
Interior has strong small-business performance overall and is particularly notable for tribal set-asides and HUBZone utilization in rural Western states. 8(a) and SDVOSB volumes are solid.
Key Contracting Offices
- Interior Business Center (IBC) — Reston, VA and Denver, CO
- NPS Contracting Services — Lakewood, CO and regional offices
- BLM National Operations Center — Denver, CO
- BIA Office of Acquisition and Property Management — Washington, DC
- Bureau of Reclamation Acquisition — Denver, CO and regional offices
DOI by the Numbers
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