Who wins the most government contracts in California?

Of the federal contract awards on file for California, HEALTH NET FEDERAL SERVICES, LLC holds the largest total: 15 awards worth $60,407,661,738. That is a ranking of this dataset, not of every contractor in the state: the table above is capped at the 20 largest by award dollars.

Which federal agency buys the most in California?

Department of Defense accounts for the largest total in this dataset: 1,368,727 awards worth $607,785,119,102. Knowing your buyer matters — agencies reuse the same contracting offices, the same clause sets, and often the same incumbents.

How big is a typical government contract in California?

The median award on file is $1,149, while the average is $438,535. The gap between the two is the point: a small number of very large contracts pull the average up, so the median is the better guide to the work a small business actually competes for.

What kind of work does the government buy in California?

In this dataset the largest industry by dollars is RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (NAICS 541710). Your NAICS code is how buyers classify the work and how set-aside size standards are applied, so it decides which of these contracts you are even eligible to bid.

Do I have to be based in California to bid on these contracts?

No. Federal contracts are open to any registered business in the United States, and the state shown here is the place of performance — where the work happens, not where the winner is headquartered. Being local helps on price and on site-visit logistics, and some state and local solicitations do apply residency or local preferences, but the federal ones on this page do not.

How do I find open government bids in California?

Awards tell you who has been buying; open solicitations are what you can still bid. BidGovContracts pulls federal SAM.gov postings and state portals into one feed, filters them to your trade and state, and summarizes each one in plain English — what the job is, when it is due, and what disqualifies bidders. Start with the open bids listed on this page.

California· Federal contract awards

California government contracts

2,076,149 federal contract awards for work performed in California are on file here, worth $910.5B between them. Below: the agencies doing the buying, the contractors doing the winning, the industries the money lands in, and the solicitations still open for bid.

See who wins in California→Open bids in California

Federal contracting in California, by the numbers

Total awarded: $910.5B
Awards on file: 2,076,149
Average award: $438.5K
Median award: $1.1K
Largest single award: $41.3B
Period covered: Jun 7, 1966 – May 10, 2032

Who wins government contracts in California

The contractors holding the most federal contract dollars for work performed in California, ranked by total award value. These are the incumbents: the companies you will be bidding against, and the companies worth calling about subcontracting or teaming before you chase a prime award of your own.

Contractor	Awards	Total awarded
1HEALTH NET FEDERAL SERVICES, LLCF7NGF6NJFB96	15	$60,407,661,7386.6% of total
2LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPCQWLW9XRQTH5	169	$59,590,342,5486.5% of total
3THE BOEING COMPANYUEGFHX6R6KJ1	123	$47,008,406,7745.2% of total
4CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYYC1YP79BFD19	1,865	$44,721,569,1694.9% of total
5LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLCPM52LCJH72T9	3	$41,316,925,9534.5% of total
6THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIAPKK5TD16N4H1	8	$37,878,976,7694.2% of total
7GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.ZH4NVFG3Z526	646	$32,814,738,2253.6% of total
8NATIONAL STEEL AND SHIPBUILDING COMPANYQ85KVUK3JBF5	83	$19,425,681,2122.1% of total
9NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONLALWKM623MU7	415	$19,053,515,6212.1% of total
10NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATIONVSBAFMDKTWL4	157	$18,656,851,5092.0% of total
11THE AEROSPACE CORPORATIONYA8LJBJCND19	534	$17,846,936,9542.0% of total
12THE BOEING COMPANYM8JLMEHJADQ5	258	$17,222,951,4581.9% of total
13THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITYHJD6G4D6TJY5	190	$15,474,921,6351.7% of total
14RAYTHEON COMPANYNBSLHP77ZJQ1	596	$12,904,524,7871.4% of total
15SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.C6M7C2FLKER5	166	$12,089,128,2611.3% of total
16MCKESSON CORPORATIONS1RUKWWRYFL6	5,963	$11,056,484,3901.2% of total
17LOCKHEED MISSILES & SPACE COMPYVH9AL7JT6Y3	7	$10,983,243,6561.2% of total
18NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPJRVLDEXMYDK8	178	$10,193,127,2341.1% of total
19QTC MEDICAL SERVICES INCGN8YP96TMPK6	78	$10,026,818,1611.1% of total
20THE BOEING COMPANYM6BRZ1FHEZQ1	38	$8,367,245,9690.9% of total

Which agencies buy in California

Awarding agencies ranked by total contract dollars in California. Buyers are creatures of habit — the agency at the top of this list runs the same contracting offices, reissues the same requirements, and recompetes the same work on a predictable cycle. Learning one buyer well beats chasing every bid badly.

Awarding agency	Awards	Total awarded
1Department of Defense	1,368,727	$607,785,119,10266.8% of total
2Department of Energy	1,215	$97,345,526,22210.7% of total
3National Aeronautics and Space Administration	9,483	$79,547,881,3338.7% of total
4Department of Veterans Affairs	56,103	$35,920,392,3873.9% of total
5Department of Homeland Security	14,326	$19,617,200,4112.2% of total
6Department of Health and Human Services	17,589	$14,106,823,0371.5% of total
7General Services Administration	491,221	$13,219,415,4211.5% of total
8Department of Agriculture	37,203	$13,142,683,1601.4% of total
9Department of the Interior	13,857	$6,214,920,2270.7% of total
10Department of Justice	34,049	$4,580,689,5440.5% of total

What the government buys in California

Industries ranked by total contract dollars, using the six-digit NAICS code recorded on each award. Your NAICS code is not paperwork trivia: it is how a buyer classifies the requirement, how the SBA decides whether you count as a small business for that contract, and therefore which of these awards you were ever eligible to compete for.

Industry (NAICS)	Awards	Total awarded
1RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES541710	737	$118,443,063,36113.0% of total
2AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING336411	5,225	$118,126,194,33113.0% of total
3RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)541715	9,629	$62,409,185,0126.9% of total
4DIRECT HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCE CARRIERS524114	9	$59,427,573,8476.5% of total
5ENGINEERING SERVICES541330	14,470	$53,304,461,1295.9% of total
6GUIDED MISSILE AND SPACE VEHICLE MANUFACTURING336414	208	$45,057,662,0324.9% of total
7RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT BIOTECHNOLOGY)541712	3,895	$43,294,926,8214.8% of total
8SHIP BUILDING AND REPAIRING336611	7,904	$32,490,923,3263.6% of total
9COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION236220	7,426	$28,519,467,3903.1% of total
10SEARCH, DETECTION, NAVIGATION, GUIDANCE, AERONAUTICAL, AND NAUTICAL SYSTEM AND INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING334511	5,712	$25,242,627,5152.8% of total
11RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING334220	4,989	$20,332,401,9802.2% of total
12OTHER AIRCRAFT PARTS AND AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING336413	60,623	$20,099,320,0332.2% of total

Find your own NAICS code with the free finder →

Recently started contract work in California

The most recent awards on file by period-of-performance start date, the latest beginning May 10, 2032. Every card links to the same award on USAspending.gov so you can check the figures against the government's own record.

TECHNICAL COMMUNITIES, INC.
$7,029
Department of Defense · Defense Logistics Agency
334515 · INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING FOR MEASURING AND TESTING ELECTRICITY AND ELECTRICAL SIGNALS
Place of performance
SAN MATEO, CA
Work started
May 10, 2032
Through
Jun 28, 2032
Contract
SPMYM223P1432
Check this award on USAspending.gov
SERGENTS MECHANICAL SYSTEMS INC
$5,000
Department of Defense · Department of the Navy
236220 · COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
Place of performance
SAN DIEGO, CA
Work started
Sep 13, 2031
Through
Sep 13, 2031
Contract
N6247323F4627
Check this award on USAspending.gov
AURORA SYSTEMS CONSULTING INC
$201,960
Department of Defense · Department of the Navy
541519 · OTHER COMPUTER RELATED SERVICES
Place of performance
TORRANCE, CA
Work started
Sep 13, 2028
Through
Sep 12, 2030
Contract
N6832224FD005
Check this award on USAspending.gov
EMPIRE EQUIPMENT SERVICE, INC.
$45,872,420
Department of Defense · Department of the Army
237990 · OTHER HEAVY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION
Place of performance
TEMECULA, CA
Work started
Jul 10, 2028
Through
Dec 15, 2028
Contract
W912PL25C0020
Check this award on USAspending.gov
HOLITNA CONSTRUCTION, LLC
$19,048,830
Department of Defense · Department of the Army
337127 · INSTITUTIONAL FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
SAN DIEGO, CA
Work started
Feb 15, 2028
Through
Feb 15, 2028
Contract
W9127S25CA008
Check this award on USAspending.gov
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
$173,715,980
Department of Defense · Department of the Air Force
481212 · NONSCHEDULED CHARTERED FREIGHT AIR TRANSPORTATION
Place of performance
HAWTHORNE, CA
Work started
Jan 13, 2028
Through
Jun 11, 2028
Contract
FA881126FB004
Check this award on USAspending.gov
CANYON CONSULTING, LLC
$31,233,651
Department of Defense · Department of the Air Force
541715 · RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)
Place of performance
EL SEGUNDO, CA
Work started
Oct 4, 2027
Through
Oct 4, 2027
Contract
FA945322C0011
Check this award on USAspending.gov
GHOSTROCK SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, LLC
$629,825
Department of Defense · Department of the Navy
336611 · SHIP BUILDING AND REPAIRING
Place of performance
SAN DIEGO, CA
Work started
Apr 19, 2027
Through
Apr 19, 2027
Contract
N5523626F0183
Check this award on USAspending.gov

Government bids open in California right now

See more Californiabids →

Awards are history. These are live: solicitations with a deadline still ahead of them, soonest first, each carrying the agency's own published record — the buyer, the deadline and the documents. Sam's deep workup, the part that names what disqualifies bidders, is published for specialty-trade construction and janitorial and facilities services.

No open bids are posted for California this minute — they come and go daily. Get free alerts below and Sam will email you when a new one lands.

Open federal construction government bids→Open federal janitorial government bids→

How to use California award history to win work

Most contractors start at the wrong end. They find an open solicitation, spend two weeks on a proposal, and lose to an incumbent who has held the work for nine years. Award history runs the other way round: you find the buyer first, learn what they purchase and what they pay, and show up already knowing the job.

Three things on this page do real work for you. The agency list tells you who has the budget in California; those offices post again, and their recompetes are the most winnable contracts in government because the requirement is already written. The contractor list tells you who currently holds it — which is your competition if you bid prime, and your customer if you subcontract. The median award tells you whether this market is your size at all, before you spend a day on a bid you cannot bond or staff.

A contract's period of performance is your calendar. Work with an end date twelve to eighteen months out is work that will be recompeted, and the agency starts market research long before the solicitation appears. That window — after the incumbent's option years are visibly running out, before anything is posted — is when a capability statement and a phone call to the contracting office are worth more than any proposal you could write later.

None of it matters if you are not registered and eligible. A federal award requires an active SAM.gov registration with a UEI, and the set-aside on a solicitation decides whether your bid is even read. Both are free to sort out, and both are the most common reason a ready contractor is disqualified on a technicality.

Where these numbers come from

Source. Federal prime contract awards published by USAspending.gov, the government's official spending record. Public record, free, no data vendor in between. Each award links back to its page there so you can verify any figure yourself.
Scope. Contract awards whose place of performance is California — where the work happens, not where the winner is headquartered. Grants, loans, and direct payments are excluded; they are not work a contractor competes for.
What is not here. This is a portion of federal contracting in California, not all of it, and it does not include California state or municipal purchasing. Treat these figures as a floor: the real market is larger than what is on this page.
Missing values. Where USAspending records no amount, agency, or recipient, we leave it out instead of filling it in. An award with no reported amount is still counted as an award but does not enter any total or average, which is why a row's award count can outrun its dollars.