PrimeRFP SCOUT · NAICS Intelligence
NAICS 5417 — Scientific Research & Development Services
NAICS 541715 — R&D in Physical, Engineering & Life Sciences
NAICS 541715 is the primary code for applied research and development in defense systems, space, energy, biomedical sciences, and national security. It encompasses FFRDCs, applied R&D firms, and university research performers. Within the 5417 (Scientific R&D Services) industry group, it is consistently among the top-ranked NAICS codes by prime-contract obligated value in the trailing-12-month window.
$32.9B
Total Obligated
27,946
Total Awards
$1.18M
Avg Award Value
May 2025 – Apr 2026
Data Period
Year-Over-Year Award Trend
| Year | Awards | Total Obligated |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 38,678 | $43.3B |
| 2024 | 42,175 | $43.1B |
| 2025 | 40,884 | $42.9B |
2026 data through March 2026 only. Source: PrimeRFP SCOUT · ≥$100K floor
Top Agencies by Obligation — NAICS 541715
| Agency | Awards | Total Obligated |
|---|---|---|
DoDDepartment of Defense | 19,059 | $21.1B |
NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration | 4,951 | $5.5B |
DOEDepartment of Energy | 149 | $4.0B |
GSAGeneral Services Administration | 681 | $985M |
HHSDepartment of Health and Human Services | 798 | $833M |
Top Awardees — NAICS 541715
Trailing 12 months · ≥$100K floor · Source: PrimeRFP SCOUT
| Rank | Awardee | Awards | Total Obligated |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fluor Marine Propulsion LLC | 40 | $4.1B |
| #2 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | 391 | $3.1B |
| #3 | California Institute of Technology (JPL) | 1,378 | $2.2B |
| #4 | Johns Hopkins University APL | 967 | $1.2B |
| #5 | The Aerospace Corporation | 320 | $840M |
| #6 | Northrop Grumman Systems | 275 | $817M |
| #7 | Fermi Forward Discovery Group | 32 | $735M |
| #8 | Blue Origin LLC | 15 | $724M |
| #9 | Booz Allen Hamilton | 503 | $637M |
| #10 | The MITRE Corporation | 273 | $611M |
See all awardees and filter by agency, set-aside, and date in SCOUT.
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→$32.9B obligated across 27,946 awards — driven by DoD weapons and applied R&D ($21.1B, ~64% of the code) and NASA science / mission R&D ($5.5B).
→DOE's $4.0B across just 149 awards reflects naval-reactor and lab-adjacent R&D — Fluor Marine Propulsion ($4.1B) leads the awardee table with large, long-duration, not-broadly-competed work.
→Open-competition applied R&D — Lockheed ($3.1B), Caltech/JPL ($2.2B), JHU APL ($1.2B), Aerospace Corp ($840M), and MITRE ($611M) — is the accessible opportunity, a mix of FFRDC and commercial performers.
→NASA's 4,951 awards at $5.5B include JPL, mission support, and a high volume of smaller research task orders — more distributed than DoD and accessible to mid-tier and university R&D performers.
Frequently Asked Questions — NAICS 541715
What does NAICS 541715 cover?
NAICS 541715 (Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences) covers federal contracts for applied R&D in defense systems, aerospace, nuclear energy, biomedical research, oceanography, and national security technologies. It includes both FFRDC performers and commercial applied R&D firms.
How much does the federal government spend on NAICS 541715?
Federal agencies obligated approximately $32.9B under NAICS 541715 in the trailing 12 months (May 2025–Apr 2026) across 27,946 awards. DoD ($21.1B) and NASA ($5.5B) are the dominant buyers, followed by DOE ($4.0B). Source: PrimeRFP SCOUT, obligations_only, ≥$100K floor.
Can small businesses compete for NAICS 541715 contracts?
Yes. While the top awards are dominated by FFRDCs and large primes, DoD and NASA actively award smaller R&D contracts to mid-tier firms, universities, and SBIR/STTR performers. HHS (NIH) awards 798 contracts — among the most accessible to research firms. NASA SEWP and DoD SBIR/STTR programs are the primary entry points for smaller R&D performers.
What is the average contract value under NAICS 541715?
The average award obligation is $1.18M, but this masks wide variance — nuclear-propulsion and FFRDC contracts run into the billions, while DoD task orders and NASA research awards average much less. For mid-tier firms targeting DoD and NASA applied R&D, typical task order values range from $500K to $50M.
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