Southeast Region

The Department of the Interior National Park Service Southeast Region is a civilian sub-agency of the Department of the Interior that procures construction, maintenance, landscaping, environmental management, and operational services for national parks, historic sites, and related facilities across the southeastern United States. The Southeast Region (also known as South Atlantic Gulf, or SERO) operates through Contracting Operations East and other subordinate offices that award and manage contracts and grants for park operations and conservation initiatives.

Over its 23-year contract history, the National Park Service Southeast Region has awarded 18,505 federal contracts with combined potential value of $1.07 billion and combined dollars obligated of $1.04 billion. Recent award activity has declined: the region awarded 796 contracts in 2022, 816 in 2023, 630 in 2024, 538 in 2025, and 377 year-to-date in 2026. The most recent contract award was recorded on 26 September 2026. Among 5,362 distinct prime contractors, competitive concentration is highly fragmented: the top five primes by award count hold only 9 percent of recent awards, with Powder Inc. and Ajce Corporation each recording 72 awards over the last five years, though Ajce leads by potential value at $16.8 million combined across its 72 awards. By potential value, the top five primes hold only 3 percent of combined potential value, indicating that the regional contracting profile is dominated by small, task-specific awards rather than large regional incumbents.

The set-aside mix skews toward unrestricted competition: 63 percent of awards carry no set-aside designation. Small business set-asides account for 28 percent of awards, with an additional 7 percent awarded as 8(a) sole-source contracts. Service-disabled veteran-owned small business, woman-owned small business, HUBZone, and other small-business variants each represent less than 1 percent of the portfolio.

The Southeast Region also administers federal grant programs. Since 2008, it has awarded 979 grants obligating $219.5 million in federal dollars (with an additional $60.1 million in non-federal matching share, for a combined total of $279.6 million). Grant activity has slowed markedly: the region awarded 98 grants in 2021, 99 in 2022, 91 in 2023, 79 in 2024, and only 2 in 2025. The most recent grant award is recorded as of 1 March 2025, over a year and a half before today. Among 172 distinct recipients, grant concentration is moderately concentrated: the top five recipients by award count hold 47 percent of recent grant awards, led by American Conservation Experience with 60 awards and $10.1 million in federal dollars obligated over the last five years, followed by Conservation Legacy with 24 awards and $3.3 million. By federal dollars obligated, the top five hold only 9 percent, reflecting a wider distribution of funding across multiple educational and conservation organizations. Grants are predominantly structured as Cooperative Agreements (99 percent of awards), with Project Grants comprising the remaining 1 percent.

Current contract opportunities span maintenance, construction, and resource management across park units. Representative recent solicitations include CUGA Upgrade WR Campground Electrical (100 percent small business set-aside, electrical contractor services at Cumberland Gap National Historic Site, due 20 September 2026), Provide Tree Thinning Services for Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (small business set-aside, hazardous tree removal and landscaping, due 10 September 2026), and Aerial Phragmites Treatment for Cape Hatteras National Seashore (no set-aside, aerial and ground spraying services, due 2 September 2026). A pre-solicitation notice for Atrium Replacement at Chickamauga Visitor Center (woman-owned small business market research, commercial building construction, due 9 October 2026) signals incoming solicitation interest in larger construction projects. The solicitation pipeline shows consistent activity in building systems (HVAC replacement, electrical upgrades, plumbing), grounds management (landscaping, tree services, invasive species treatment), and facility operations (custodial services, fueling, comfort-station maintenance).

No recent grant opportunities are recorded in the source.