Who wins the most government contracts in Kentucky?

Of the federal contract awards on file for Kentucky, HUMANA GOVERNMENT BUSINESS INC holds the largest total: 4 awards worth $104,347,138,374. 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 Kentucky?

Department of Defense accounts for the largest total in this dataset: 338,057 awards worth $145,564,041,210. 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 Kentucky?

The median award on file is $500, while the average is $418,348. 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 Kentucky?

In this dataset the largest industry by dollars is DIRECT HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCE CARRIERS (NAICS 524114). 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky?

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.

Kentucky· Federal contract awards

Kentucky government contracts

374,544 federal contract awards for work performed in Kentucky are on file here, worth $156.7B 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 Kentucky→Open bids in Kentucky

Federal contracting in Kentucky, by the numbers

Total awarded: $156.7B
Awards on file: 374,544
Average award: $418.3K
Median award: $500.1
Largest single award: $51.3B
Period covered: Dec 23, 1999 – Oct 31, 2028

Who wins government contracts in Kentucky

The contractors holding the most federal contract dollars for work performed in Kentucky, 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
1HUMANA GOVERNMENT BUSINESS INCZE6ZM6NKSV43	4	$104,347,138,37466.6% of total
2LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATIONJKVWEPKJRR65	1,833	$9,477,276,9236.0% of total
3BECHTEL PARSONS BLUE GRASS, A JOINT VENTUREDS75LBB3UZJ6	8	$5,636,577,3723.6% of total
4RAYTHEON COMPANYVTEWM5QSE598	101	$2,845,095,8301.8% of total
5BOEING SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT SUPPORT, LLCH91LD1GY6JN5	98	$1,622,685,9331.0% of total
6WIELAND ROLLED PRODUCTS NORTH AMERICA, LLCLCCMM1A56RP1	91	$1,540,699,3781.0% of total
7UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO.YF8QFWJLNBV8	1,183	$1,145,188,3100.7% of total
8WALSH - TURNER JV IIMKEHYFKZMB23	1	$964,578,6180.6% of total
9CFM INTERNATIONAL INCQ6HPK83NVT26	856	$732,188,8640.5% of total
10BAE SYSTEMS LAND & ARMAMENTS L.P.YNJNTZWVC3H6	471	$690,819,4660.4% of total
11SWIFT & STALEY INC.KEG8NAADACH5	3	$594,619,2330.4% of total
12SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONMMLKPW9JLX64	6	$581,679,1120.4% of total
13DISMAS CHARITIES INCHUFKC6ZWCEN8	452	$561,769,1860.4% of total
14SOURCEAMERICAVKFFM58F5EN5	115	$561,765,4980.4% of total
15BAE SYSTEMS LAND & ARMAMENTS L.P.VKHNSDHDGP13	562	$554,688,8920.4% of total
16THALLE CONSTRUCTION CO INCRMVJU76MCN81	2	$515,840,5340.3% of total
17FLUOR FEDERAL SERVICES INCNZ9CUMF36PK1	1	$505,920,2430.3% of total
18PADUCAH REMEDIATION SERVICES, LLCMUEAAVB855L1	1	$452,844,7840.3% of total
19LATA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OF KENTUCKY, LLCEPSPUTSBGNG6	1	$439,026,5160.3% of total
20TREVIICOS SOLETANCHE JVHMX5X95S37B3	1	$424,238,7980.3% of total

Which agencies buy in Kentucky

Awarding agencies ranked by total contract dollars in Kentucky. 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	338,057	$145,564,041,21092.9% of total
2Department of Energy	633	$2,393,183,8221.5% of total
3Department of the Treasury	659	$1,772,585,6441.1% of total
4Department of Justice	11,728	$1,397,726,9400.9% of total
5Department of Veterans Affairs	6,148	$1,298,812,4270.8% of total
6Department of Homeland Security	2,151	$919,192,8390.6% of total
7Department of Labor	154	$913,580,4660.6% of total
8General Services Administration	7,621	$811,903,8130.5% of total
9Department of Agriculture	3,852	$452,616,9270.3% of total
10Department of Health and Human Services	511	$298,754,5270.2% of total

What the government buys in Kentucky

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
1DIRECT HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCE CARRIERS524114	4	$104,347,138,37466.6% of total
2ALL OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES561990	1,864	$9,414,766,8896.0% of total
3HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL562211	758	$5,644,849,7093.6% of total
4COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION236220	2,084	$3,092,046,6622.0% of total
5SMALL ARMS, ORDNANCE, AND ORDNANCE ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURING332994	601	$2,252,038,8871.4% of total
6FACILITIES SUPPORT SERVICES561210	1,120	$2,228,831,7911.4% of total
7OTHER HEAVY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION237990	212	$2,021,217,2251.3% of total
8ENGINEERING SERVICES541330	1,588	$1,842,559,0061.2% of total
9REMEDIATION SERVICES562910	366	$1,758,656,8381.1% of total
10COPPER ROLLING, DRAWING, EXTRUDING, AND ALLOYING331420	117	$1,540,868,9071.0% of total
11OTHER SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION488190	346	$1,358,009,0140.9% of total
12OTHER COMPUTER RELATED SERVICES541519	1,544	$1,150,897,5570.7% of total

Find your own NAICS code with the free finder →

Recently started contract work in Kentucky

The most recent awards on file by period-of-performance start date, the latest beginning October 31, 2028. Every card links to the same award on USAspending.gov so you can check the figures against the government's own record.

STI LEGACY, INC.
$585,000
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
541714 · RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY (EXCEPT NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY)
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Oct 31, 2028
Through
Oct 31, 2028
Contract
80JSC026FA108
Check this award on USAspending.gov
DISMAS CHARITIES INC
$1,979,786
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
623990 · OTHER RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES
Place of performance
LOUISVILLE, KY
Work started
Apr 1, 2027
Through
Mar 31, 2028
Contract
15BRRC26F00000294
Check this award on USAspending.gov
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC
$4,500
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
337214 · OFFICE FURNITURE (EXCEPT WOOD) MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Nov 13, 2026
Through
Nov 13, 2026
Contract
15B41226P00000201
Check this award on USAspending.gov
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC
$20,305
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
337211 · WOOD OFFICE FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Nov 5, 2026
Through
Nov 5, 2026
Contract
15BNAS26P00000176
Check this award on USAspending.gov
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC
$22,289
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
337211 · WOOD OFFICE FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Nov 5, 2026
Through
Nov 5, 2026
Contract
15BNAS26P00000177
Check this award on USAspending.gov
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC
$19,623
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
337211 · WOOD OFFICE FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Nov 3, 2026
Through
Nov 3, 2026
Contract
15BNAS26P00000175
Check this award on USAspending.gov
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC
$59,538
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
315990 · APPAREL ACCESSORIES AND OTHER APPAREL MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Oct 17, 2026
Through
Oct 17, 2026
Contract
15B40626F00000222
Check this award on USAspending.gov
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC
$12,750
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
315990 · APPAREL ACCESSORIES AND OTHER APPAREL MANUFACTURING
Place of performance
LEXINGTON, KY
Work started
Oct 12, 2026
Through
Oct 12, 2026
Contract
15B41226F00000161
Check this award on USAspending.gov

Government bids open in Kentucky right now

See more Kentuckybids →

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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky; 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 Kentucky — 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 Kentucky, not all of it, and it does not include Kentucky 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.