PrimeRFP SCOUT · NAICS Intelligence
5417 — Scientific Research & Development Services
NAICS 541715 — R&D in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
Applied research and development in defense systems, space, energy, biomedical sciences, and national security.
$38.5B
Total Obligated
30,028
Total Awards
$1.3M
Avg Award Value
Aug 2025 – Aug 2026
Data Period
90 days · $90 · no annual contract · cancel anytime
Year-Over-Year Award Trend
| Year | Awards | Total Obligated |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11,378 | $11.6B |
| 2023 | 38,629 | $43.3B |
| 2024 | 42,080 | $43.2B |
| 2025 | 40,880 | $42.9B |
2026 data through March 2026 only. Source: PrimeRFP SCOUT · ≥$100K floor
Top Agencies by Obligation — NAICS 541715
| Agency | Awards | Total Obligated |
|---|---|---|
| 20,784 | $26.1B | |
| 5,218 | $5.9B | |
| 170 | $3.7B | |
| 725 | $1.3B | |
| 786 | $925.6M | |
| 393 | $189.0M | |
OFDepartment of Commerce (DOC) | 187 | $116.3M |
| 462 | $113.5M | |
OFDepartment of the Interior (DOI) | 317 | $72.6M |
| 79 | $51.6M |
Top Awardees — NAICS 541715
Trailing 12 months · ≥$100K floor · Source: PrimeRFP SCOUT
| Rank | Awardee | Awards | Total Obligated |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | FLUOR MARINE PROPULSION, LLC | 43 | $4.1B |
| #2 | CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | 1,222 | $2.1B |
| #3 | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC, THE | 1,391 | $1.6B |
| #4 | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | 69 | $1.1B |
| #5 | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | 22 | $979.3M |
| #6 | THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION | 325 | $937.5M |
| #7 | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | 109 | $932.2M |
| #8 | BLUE ORIGIN LLC | 16 | $880.9M |
| #9 | FERMI FORWARD DISCOVERY GROUP, LLC | 33 | $878.3M |
| #10 | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | 99 | $787.2M |
See all awardees and filter by agency, set-aside, and date in SCOUT.
Score your position in 541715 — $90 Pilot →SCOUT Market Insights
→NAICS 541715 shows $28.5B obligated across 22,885 awards (five-buyer lens) — average award $1.24M (~63 ≥$100K awards per day in scope).
→Department of Defense leads at $26.1B (20,781 awards); VA ($30.2M), HHS ($926M), GSA ($1.3B) are the next largest buyers.
→Whole-of-government awardee ranking timed out on refresh — use Category/PSC market views for prime-share context; five-buyer totals above are authoritative for the scoped buyer set.
→Calendar trend (full CYs): $33.6B (CY2023) → $33.9B (CY2024) → $33.0B (CY2025).
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?
Across DoD, VA, HHS, GSA, and DHS (five-buyer lens), agencies obligated approximately $28.5B under NAICS 541715 across 22,885 awards in the trailing 12 months (Aug 2025–Aug 2026). 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.
SCOUT Intelligence
See the full NAICS 541715 pipeline
Filter recompetes by agency, set-aside type, incumbent, and contract end date. Set alerts for new awards.
View Recompete Pipeline →Score your position in 541715 — $90 Pilot →90 days · $90 · no annual contract · cancel anytime
Compare plans →