Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is a civilian sub-agency within HHS that funds policy research, evaluation, and planning activities supporting the department's strategic initiatives. ASPE uses both contracts and grants to commission analytical and technical work across health policy, social services, and human development.

ASPE's contract portfolio totals 365 awards since 1986, with combined potential value of $88.7 million and $131.5 million obligated to date. Recent activity has accelerated significantly: the agency issued 4 awards in 2022, 4 in 2023, 5 in 2024, 13 in 2025, and 22 year-to-date in 2026. The most recent award closed on 2026-09-23. Among 121 distinct prime contractors across the portfolio history, competitive concentration is fragmented by award count but highly fragmented by dollar value. Over the last five years, Four Seasons Environmental Inc. leads by award count with 10 awards and $93 thousand combined potential value, followed by Didlake Inc. with 6 awards and $384 thousand combined potential value. By potential value over the same window, Meridien Group LLC holds $4.4 million across 1 award, and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. holds $4.1 million across 2 awards. The top five primes by count represent 45 percent of recent awards; the top five by value represent 18 percent of combined potential value over the same period. The competitive mix shows most of ASPE's contract capacity flows through open, unrestricted procurement: 85 percent of awards carry no set-aside designation. Small-business set-asides (including 8(a) sole-source awards) account for 12 percent of awards; HUBZone and Buy Indian set-asides together represent 1 percent.

ASPE's grant portfolio is sparse relative to contracts, with 6 total awards since 2016 and $30.9 million in federal dollars obligated. The agency awarded 1 grant in 2016, 1 in 2021, and 4 in 2024. No grant awards have closed since 2024-09-30. Among 5 distinct grant recipients over the last five years, recipient concentration is highly fragmented: the top four recipients each hold a single award, with Abounding Prosperity Incorporated at $1.6 million federal dollars, Empowerment Resource Center Inc. at $1.2 million, Mississippi Public Health Institute at $1.2 million, and Centerstone Of Florida, Inc. at $1.1 million. All grants are structured as Project Grants. No recent contract opportunities or grant opportunities are recorded against ASPE in the source data.