The 10 Largest Government Contracts Awarded This Quarter

Every quarter, the U.S. federal government awards billions in contracts across defense, IT, professional services, and construction. Here are the 10 largest procurement actions from Q1 2026 — and what they tell us about where the money is flowing.

1. DoD IT Modernization — $15B (program total)

Agency: Department of Defense

The largest procurement initiative of the quarter, DoD's IT modernization spans cloud migration, cybersecurity upgrades, and AI implementation. Funding flows through GSA's EIS ($4.2B), CDAO contracts ($3.8B), and new SEWP VI AI-focused task orders ($2.1B). Multiple IDIQ vehicles serve as the primary procurement mechanism.

Signal: DoD continues to consolidate IT procurement under large vehicles, creating a two-tier market between qualified and unqualified vendors.

2. GSA EIS Cloud Migration — $1.2B

Agency: General Services Administration

GSA awarded multiple task orders under Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions for cloud migration across 12 civilian agencies. This covers migration from legacy data centers to FedRAMP-approved cloud environments. Prime contractors include CACI, SAIC, and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Signal: Cloud migration remains the dominant IT spending category. Firms with FedRAMP expertise have a structural advantage.

3. NASA Artemis Mission Support — $890M

Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA awarded SpaceX and three other contractors a combined $890M for Artemis mission support services, expanding beyond launch services to include spacecraft integration, ground operations, and mission planning.

4. DHS Cybersecurity Infrastructure — $847M

Agency: Department of Homeland Security (CISA)

CISA launched a new 5-year IDIQ for modernizing federal cybersecurity infrastructure. Focus areas include zero-trust architecture, continuous monitoring, and threat intelligence platforms. This contract vehicle will serve as a model for other agencies.

5. JWCC Cloud Computing — $412M

Agency: Department of Defense

DoD awarded task orders under the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability to Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Oracle for classified cloud computing services. This order covers AI/ML workloads for JAIC and includes edge computing for deployed forces.

Signal: Multi-cloud strategy is the new default for classified computing. Vendors must support Secret and Top Secret environments.

6. NASA Artemis Additional Support — $267M

Agency: NASA

Additional cost-plus-award-fee contracts for Artemis lunar mission support. Contract includes options that could bring total value to $890M through 2030.

7. Border Security Technology — $156M

Agency: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

CBP awarded Raytheon Technologies a contract for integrating advanced surveillance technologies, including autonomous ground sensors, drone systems, and AI-powered threat detection. Part of CBP's broader $2.1B border technology modernization program.

8. VA Healthcare AI — $89M

Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs

VA awarded 47 Phase II SBIR contracts focused on AI applications for veteran healthcare, including predictive analytics for mental health, automated medical coding, and clinical decision support. Each award ranges from $1.2M to $2.8M over 24 months.

9. OPM Health Benefits Modernization — $78M

Agency: Office of Personnel Management

OPM selected Accenture Federal Services to modernize the Federal Employee Health Benefits program systems, including migration from legacy COBOL to cloud-native architecture. Project serves 8.2 million federal employees and retirees.

10. SBA Contracting Center of Excellence — $45M

Agency: Small Business Administration

SBA announced a new Center of Excellence for helping small businesses navigate federal contracting, with offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and Seattle.

Key Takeaways

• DoD dominates. Defense accounts for the majority of top awards, spanning IT, cloud, and AI investments.
• IT and cloud continue to grow. GSA's EIS and DoD's JWCC represent the largest procurement vehicles in government.
• Cybersecurity is mandatory. CISA's new IDIQ and GSA's compliance requirements make cybersecurity a baseline, not an option.
• Small business opportunities expand. VA's SBIR awards and SBA's new center signal increased small business support.