National Technical Information Service

The Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service is a civilian sub-agency that procures contracts to support its mission of disseminating scientific, technical, and engineering information across the federal government and to the public. NTIS operates as a centralized repository and distribution hub within Commerce, managing federal R&D information and related procurement activities.

NTIS has issued 1,883 federal contract awards cumulatively since 1986, with combined potential value of $251.9 million. Recent activity has declined: the agency awarded 22 contracts in 2022, 25 in 2023, 20 in 2024, 12 in 2025, and 5 year-to-date in 2026. Combined dollars obligated reached $263.6 million, slightly exceeding the combined potential-value ceiling. The agency works with a highly fragmented contractor base; 505 distinct prime contractors have been awarded over the portfolio history, with the top five primes by award count holding only 41 percent of recent awards. Lazer Cartridges Plus, L.L.C. leads by award count with 13 awards valued at $655 thousand combined potential value, followed by Thundercat Technology, LLC with 9 awards ($318 thousand combined potential) and Emergent, LLC with 5 awards ($365 thousand combined potential). By potential value, concentration is highly fragmented at 3 percent coverage — The Mitre Corporation holds the largest individual award at $4.3 million but represents only one contract, with JBW Group LLC at $1.1 million combined across two awards.

Set-asides play a minimal role in NTIS procurement. The vast majority of awards—1,561 contracts, or 83 percent—carry no set-aside designation. Small-business set-asides account for 8 percent of awards (159 contracts), while 8(a) Sole Source represents 6 percent (114 awards). Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, HUBZone, Buy Indian, and other small-business variants together constitute 3 percent of awards. This distribution reflects a procurement posture oriented toward open competition and unrestricted vendor access rather than categorical small-business or socioeconomic preferences. No recent federal contract opportunities or grant activity is recorded against NTIS in the provided data.