Public Health Service

The Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service is a civilian federal health agency that procures contracts and awards grants to support public health initiatives, disease prevention, and community health programming across the United States. The Public Health Service, a major component of HHS, coordinates health promotion and disease prevention activities through multiple operating divisions and offices, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).

The agency has awarded 14,950 federal contracts totaling $156.4 million in combined potential value since 1978, with $4.14 billion in combined obligations obligated against those awards. Contract activity has been minimal in recent years: 4 awards in 2011, 8 in 2012, 6 in 2013, 1 in 2014, and 8 in 2015; the most recent recorded award dates to October 2015. The contract portfolio encompasses 2,601 distinct prime contractors, and the set-aside mix is heavily weighted toward unrestricted awards—93 percent of contracts carry no set-aside designation. Buy Indian awards represent 4 percent of the portfolio; total small business set-asides account for 3 percent, with 8(a) sole-source awards and other small-business-specific designations appearing in minimal numbers.

The agency has awarded 36,624 federal grants totaling $9.48 billion in combined federal dollars obligated since 1987, with the most recent grant award dating to February 2010. Grant activity peaked sharply in 2006 with 3,399 awards, then dropped to 20 awards in 2007, 10 in 2008, 19 in 2009, and 1 in 2010. Nearly all grant awards are Project Grants (36,583 awards, 100 percent), with a negligible number of Block Grants and Cooperative Agreements. The recipient base includes 58 distinct organizations, predominantly state and local government entities, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.

Current grant-making activity includes the Healthy Cooking in Communities opportunity (Solicitation HP-DPH-26-001), a Cooperative Agreement supporting nutrition and culinary education in communities, open to state and local governments, tribal governments, nonprofits, higher-education institutions, and for-profit organizations. The opportunity posted August 3, 2026 with a due date of August 17, 2026. No recent federal contract opportunities are recorded against the agency.

The agency's contract and grant portfolios both show minimal recent activity relative to historical award volume. The contract portfolio has issued only 27 awards over the last five years, and the grant portfolio closed to active awards in 2010. Current business development interest should focus on the active grant funding cycle, where community-based health programs remain a priority.