Research and experimental development in physical, engineering, and life sciences. Find active federal and state physical, engineering, and life sciences r&d contracts — AI-scored against your profile across SAM.gov and 200+ portals.
Annual federal R&D obligations under NAICS 541710 exceed $100B, with NIH (~$40B), NSF (~$9B), DOE Office of Science (~$8B), DARPA (~$4B), and NASA (~$3B) as top buyers. Competition is intense; most awards are best-value, with technical merit often outweighing price. Contracts range from small SBIR/STTR Phase I awards (typically $150K–$250K) to multi-year, multi-million dollar IDIQs and cooperative agreements. Demand is driven by agency mission needs: biomedical research, energy innovation, defense technology, and space exploration. Set-asides are common, particularly under SBIR/STTR and 8(a) programs.
These agencies are the largest buyers of physical, engineering, and life sciences r&d services and products in the federal government. Each awards contracts under NAICS 541710 regularly — build relationships with their small business offices first.
To win 541710 contracts, focus on building deep technical expertise in a niche area (e.g., AI for drug discovery, quantum sensing) and partner with academic institutions to strengthen credibility. The highest-leverage move is to pursue SBIR/STTR Phase I awards—they are set aside for small businesses, have a lower barrier to entry, and can lead to larger Phase II/III contracts. Most buyers use best-value tradeoffs, so invest in a compelling technical proposal with clear milestones and a strong research team. Register in SAM and DSBS, but differentiate through past performance and innovative approach.
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences R&D is primarily bought through grants, cooperative agreements, and agency-specific IDIQs (e.g., NIH SBIR/STTR, DOE SBIR/STTR, NASA Research Announcements). Best-value evaluation is standard, with technical approach, team qualifications, and feasibility weighted heavily. GSA Schedule 541 and SEWP V are used for applied research and prototype development. LPTA is rare except for well-defined tasks.
No, a GSA Schedule is not required. Most R&D contracts are awarded through competitive grants, cooperative agreements, or agency-specific IDIQs (e.g., NIH SBIR, DOE STTR). However, holding a GSA Schedule 541 (or 871) can provide access to task orders for applied research.
Beyond SAM registration, relevant certifications include ISO 9001 (quality management) and CMMI (capability maturity) for engineering R&D. For life sciences, AAALAC accreditation (animal care) or cGMP compliance may be needed. Small business certifications (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB) are highly advantageous.
Very competitive. Thousands of firms compete for NIH grants alone. However, SBIR/STTR programs reserve 3.2% of agency extramural R&D budgets for small businesses, creating a dedicated pool. Success rates for SBIR Phase I average ~15-20%, higher than unsolicited proposals.
Award sizes vary widely. SBIR Phase I awards average $150K–$250K for 6-12 months. Phase II awards average $1M–$1.5M over 2 years. Larger IDIQs or cooperative agreements can range from $5M to $100M+ for multi-year research programs.
Yes, subcontracting is common. Many small businesses team with universities or large primes to bring specialized expertise. The prime contractor typically manages the project and retains at least 50% of the work (for small business set-asides). Subcontracting can help build past performance.