Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) serves as the primary communications arm for HHS, one of the largest civilian departments in the federal government. ASPA is responsible for coordinating public affairs activities across all HHS operating divisions, managing media relations, overseeing digital communications, and ensuring consistent messaging about health initiatives, policies, and programs. The office plays a critical role in disseminating public health information, supporting health education campaigns, and facilitating transparency between HHS and the American public.

Recent contract awards from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs demonstrate a diverse procurement portfolio supporting various operational needs across HHS and its components, particularly the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Several contracts support international operations, including a $20,597.07 purchase order to Trade Wings LIMITED for vehicle rental services supporting the NIH/NIAID India ICER Program and an $11,311.97 award to the same vendor for housekeeping, electrical, and air conditioning technician services at an NIH facility in Chennai, India. The office has also procured laboratory supplies, awarding $18,789.35 to Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees for lab reagents for NIH use, with delivery expected by January 2025.

Infrastructure and energy systems represent another significant category of ASPA procurement activity. The office awarded a $134,500 definitive contract to Energy Systems LIMITED for the supply and installation of a solar array backup system with completion expected by December 2024. Additionally, a $95,441.30 purchase order was issued to Kranish Erica (doing business as Erica Wheeler), a woman-owned small business, for transformer replacement, specifically upgrading from a 630 kVA transformer to a 1250 kVA transformer. Another purchase order worth $20,560.96 was awarded to the same vendor for NextSeq 1000/2000 P2 Reagents, further highlighting the office's involvement in procuring advanced scientific equipment and supplies. These contracts indicate ASPA manages a range of facility-related and research-supporting acquisitions both domestically and internationally.