Construction of commercial buildings, offices, public buildings, hospitals, schools, and institutional facilities. Find active federal and state commercial and institutional building construction contracts — AI-scored against your profile across SAM.gov and 200+ portals.
Annual federal spend under NAICS 236220 exceeds $15 billion, driven by military construction (MILCON), VA medical facilities, GSA public buildings, and federal courthouses. Competition is intense: over 12,000 firms are registered in SAM under this code. Most work is awarded via firm-fixed-price design-bid-build or design-build contracts, with increasing use of multiple-award IDIQs (e.g., GSA PBS Design Excellence, USACE MATOC). Demand is fueled by deferred maintenance, energy resilience upgrades, and new construction for agency consolidation. Small businesses win roughly 30% of set-aside dollars, primarily through 8(a), SDVOSB, and HUBZone competitions.
These agencies are the largest buyers of commercial and institutional building construction services and products in the federal government. Each awards contracts under NAICS 236220 regularly — build relationships with their small business offices first.
Focus on design-build IDIQ MATOCs (e.g., USACE, NAVFAC, GSA) where past performance on similar projects is the top discriminator. The single highest-leverage move is to pursue 8(a) or SDVOSB set-asides on $5M–$20M projects, where fewer bidders and agency preference for socioeconomic programs boost win rates. Invest in a strong safety record (EMR < 1.0) and bonding capacity up to $30M per project. Tailor capability statements to specific agency facility types—VA hospitals, DOD barracks, or GSA courthouses—rather than generic commercial work.
Most work is awarded through agency-specific IDIQs (USACE MATOC, NAVFAC MAC, GSA PBS Design Excellence) using best-value tradeoff with heavy emphasis on past performance. LPTA is used for simple renovations under $5M. GSA Schedule 03FAC (Facilities Maintenance and Management) is also common for smaller projects. Evaluation typically rates technical approach, management plan, and safety record.
Most states require a general contractor license for projects over $500–$1,000. Federal contracts do not preempt state licensing; you must hold a valid license in the state where the work is performed. For design-build, many agencies also require a professional engineering or architecture license for in-house staff or a subcontractor.
Typical federal construction contracts over $150,000 require Miller Act payment and performance bonds equal to 100% of the contract value. For IDIQ MATOCs, agencies often require a single bond covering the total capacity (e.g., $20M aggregate). Most small business primes need at least $10M in bonding capacity to be competitive.
8(a) and SDVOSB set-asides are most common, followed by HUBZone and WOSB. Many agency IDIQs reserve pools exclusively for 8(a) or SDVOSB firms. For example, GSA's Design Excellence program has an 8(a) pool, and USACE MATOCs often include small business, 8(a), and SDVOSB tracks.
Awards range from $1M for small renovations to over $100M for new military hospitals or courthouses. The median task order under IDIQ contracts is $5M–$15M. Standalone design-bid-build projects average $10M–$30M. Small businesses typically compete for projects under $20M.
For sealed bidding (IFB), award typically occurs 30–60 days after bid opening. For negotiated design-build (RFP), the process can take 4–12 months, including source selection. IDIQ contracts take 6–18 months to award, with task orders issued within 30–90 days of request.