Bureau of Intelligence and Research

The Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research, a sub-agency of the State Department, conducts foreign-policy research and analysis that supports diplomatic and intelligence activities, transacting through both contracts and grants to acquire research, analysis, technical services, and international-education programming.

The Bureau awarded 2,884 federal contracts totaling $721.5 million in combined potential value since 2003, with $502.7 million obligated as of the most recent award date. Contract volume has declined over the last five years: 129 awards in 2022, 138 in 2023, 133 in 2024, 68 in 2025, and 56 year-to-date in 2026. The most recently recorded award date is 2026-11-01. Contract competition is highly fragmented, with the top five primes by award count (primarily miscellaneous foreign awardees, New TECH Solutions Inc., Thundercat Technology LLC, and D3 Systems Inc.) holding 32 percent of recent awards over the last five years. By potential value, competitive concentration remains minimal—the top five primes, led by Carahsoft Technology Corp at $17.8 million combined potential value, account for only 5 percent of recent combined value, signaling a long tail of small and specialized vendors. The Bureau transacts heavily through open, unrestricted contracting: 92 percent of awards carry no set-aside designation, while small-business awards (5 percent) break down into total small business (154 awards), 8(a) sole-source (31 awards), and competitive 8(a) (23 awards), with HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, and woman-owned small business collectively accounting for less than 1 percent.

The Bureau awarded 111 federal grants totaling $36.6 million in obligated federal dollars since 2008, with recent activity steady at eight awards per year from 2020 through 2024 (the most recent grant award closed 2024-10-01). Grant recipients are moderately concentrated: the top five recipients by award count hold 64 percent of recent awards over the last five years, led by the Middle East Institute (4 awards, $455 thousand federal dollars), University of Wisconsin System (3 awards, $388 thousand federal dollars), and American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS Inc. (3 awards, $1.6 million federal dollars). By federal dollars, concentration is highly fragmented at 14 percent of the top five, with American Councils for International Education leading at $1.6 million. All 111 grants are structured as Project Grants, reflecting the Bureau's focus on discrete research and educational initiatives rather than ongoing cooperative arrangements.