Construction and repair of naval vessels, Coast Guard cutters, and government ships. Find active federal and state ship building and repairing contracts — AI-scored against your profile across SAM.gov and 200+ portals.
Annual federal spend under NAICS 336611 exceeds $20 billion, driven primarily by Navy shipbuilding (Columbia-class submarines, Ford-class carriers, DDG-51 destroyers) and repair (maintenance availabilities for surface ships and submarines). Coast Guard cutter construction (Polar Security Cutter, Offshore Patrol Cutter) and Army Corps dredge/barge work add demand. Contracts are predominantly large, multi-year IDIQs (e.g., Navy's Multi-Award Construction Contracts, SUPSHIP availabilities) with limited competition due to high capital barriers. Repair work is more accessible to small businesses via smaller-value task orders. Demand is stable but subject to congressional appropriations cycles.
These agencies are the largest buyers of ship building and repairing services and products in the federal government. Each awards contracts under NAICS 336611 regularly — build relationships with their small business offices first.
For repair work, target Navy Regional Maintenance Centers (RMCs) and Military Sealift Command via small business set-asides (8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone) on SeaPort Next Generation or GSA Schedule 84. For construction, team as a subcontractor to primes like Huntington Ingalls or General Dynamics. Highest-leverage move: obtain a facility security clearance (FCL) and register in the Joint Certification Program (JCP) to access Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on solicitations.
Work is awarded via LPTA for standard repairs and best-value tradeoff for complex construction. Common vehicles: SeaPort Next Generation (Navy), GSA Schedule 84 (FAR Part 22), and agency-specific IDIQs (e.g., MSC's Vessel Repair IDIQ). Evaluation emphasizes past performance, safety record, and facility capacity.
Navy ship repair requires a valid Facility Clearance (FCL) at the Secret level, a NAVSEA Standard Item 009-09 compliant quality management system (ISO 9001:2015), and registration in the Joint Certification Program (JCP) for access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
Small business set-aside awards for ship repair typically range from $500,000 to $10 million per task order, with occasional single-award contracts up to $20 million. Construction set-asides are rarer and usually larger ($10M–$50M).
Highly concentrated—only a few large primes (e.g., Austal USA, Bollinger, Eastern Shipbuilding) compete for full cutter construction. Small businesses typically win subcontracts for modules, outfitting, or systems integration.
For contracts over $150,000, Miller Act bonds (performance and payment) are required. Typical bonding capacity needed is 100% of the contract value, with many solicitations requiring a minimum of $5 million per bond.
Yes, but only for non-nuclear repair work at private shipyards. The Navy's Submarine Maintenance, Industrial Base, and Infrastructure (SMIBI) program awards set-aside contracts for hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) work. Nuclear work requires an NRC license and is typically prime-only.