Department of Health and Human Services
Abbreviation: HHS
Secretary of Health and Human Services (as of 2026): Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
2026 Budget: $1.8T
CGAC Code: 7500
Website: hhs.gov
The Department of Health and Human Services is the federal government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its outlays are dominated by Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, administered by CMS, making HHS the largest department by budget.
HHS also houses the public health infrastructure of the United States, including the CDC, FDA, NIH, IHS, and ASPR. It runs large social service programs including Head Start, TANF, and refugee resettlement through the Administration for Children and Families.
Sub-Departments
Bureaus, services, and major components within HHS.
Administration for Children and Families
Administers TANF, Head Start, child support enforcement, and refugee resettlement programs.
Administration for Community Living
Supports older adults and people with disabilities living independently in their communities.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Produces evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable.
Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
Leads the nation's medical and public health preparedness for disasters and public health emergencies.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Responds to environmental health threats from hazardous substances; a sister agency to CDC.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The nation's leading public health protection agency, headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Administers Medicare, works with states on Medicaid and CHIP, and oversees the federal marketplaces.
Food and Drug Administration
Regulates drugs, biologics, medical devices, most of the U.S. food supply, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Improves health for geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable populations.
Indian Health Service
Provides comprehensive health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives in tribal areas.
National Institutes of Health
The world's largest biomedical research institution, comprising 27 institutes and centers.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Leads public health efforts to reduce the impact of substance use and mental illness on America's communities.
How to Win HHS Contracts
Winning work at the Department of Health and Human Servicesmeans 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 HHS buys, the vehicles it uses, and the steps your company should take to go from registered vendor to awarded contractor.
Understanding HHS Procurement
The Department of Health and Human Services obligates roughly $35-40B in contracts annually across CMS, NIH, CDC, FDA, HRSA, ACF, IHS, and dozens of other operating divisions. HHS is the largest health-focused federal buyer and the principal grant-making agency in government.
HHS procurement spans biomedical research, pharmaceutical and medical countermeasure development (BARDA), clinical trials, health IT (Medicare/Medicaid systems), public health surveillance, and social service program support. Large IDIQs and government-wide vehicles dominate.
How HHS Buys
HHS operates NITAAC (IT GWACs: CIO-SP3, CIO-SP4) as a government-wide acquisition contract for IT and health IT. Individual OpDivs run their own IDIQs, including NIH’s CIO-SP4 task orders, CMS’s SPARC and ESD, CDC’s IDIQs, FDA’s acquisition vehicles.
BARDA issues medical-countermeasure contracts through Other Transaction Authority and specialized BAA processes. HHS makes heavy use of GSA MAS and OASIS+ for professional services.
Major Contract Vehicles
- NITAAC CIO-SP4— HHS-operated GWAC for IT services across all of government, one of the largest IT vehicles in federal.
- CMS SPARC— Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract for CMS program and systems support.
- CMS ESD (Enterprise Systems Development)— Multi-award IDIQ for Medicare/Medicaid systems development.
- BARDA BAAs and OTAs— Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s pandemic and countermeasure contracts.
- NIH CIO-SP3 Small Business— Small-business-only lane of NITAAC’s flagship GWAC, heavily used by NIH ICs.
Step 1: Get Registered and Compliant
Required Registrations
HHS-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
- 541611–Management Consulting
- 541715–Scientific R&D
- 541714–R&D in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology)
- 621512–Diagnostic Imaging Centers
- 622110–General Medical Hospitals
- 541990–Professional/Scientific Services NEC
Step 4: Develop Winning Proposals
Technical Approach
Past Performance
Pricing Strategy
Winning Strategies
- Specialize by OpDiv, since CMS, NIH, CDC, and FDA have distinct cultures. Treat them as separate accounts.
- Use NITAAC CIO-SP4 as the primary IT vehicle strategy. Secondary: OASIS+ and GSA MAS.
- Invest in HITRUST or FedRAMP Moderate/High ATOs before chasing CMS or CDC data work.
- Track BARDA’s published Broad Agency Announcements on an ongoing basis for countermeasure and preparedness plays.
- Partner with academic medical centers for NIH research contracts; collaborative past performance is a force multiplier.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming generic IT past performance transfers to CMS. Medicare/Medicaid systems work is a specialized domain with steep learning curves.
- Underestimating the compliance lift for PHI handling. HIPAA violations are mission-ending for federal health contractors.
- Ignoring the grants side of HHS, since many opportunities are hybrid cooperative agreements rather than pure contracts.
Small Business Programs
HHS has strong small-business performance with heavy 8(a) and WOSB utilization. NIH CIO-SP3 Small Business and its successor pools have channeled billions to small primes. HUBZone activity is growing under rural health initiatives.
Key Contracting Offices
- CMS Office of Acquisition and Grants Management — Baltimore, MD
- NIH Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management — Bethesda, MD
- CDC Office of Financial Resources (Procurement) — Atlanta, GA
- FDA Office of Acquisition and Grants Services — Silver Spring, MD
- HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (Acquisitions) — Washington, DC
HHS by the Numbers
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