Special Inspector General for TARP

The Department of the Treasury Special Inspector General for TARP is a civilian independent office that procures contract support for auditing, investigation, and oversight activities related to the Troubled Asset Relief Program and financial institution assistance programs administered during and after the 2008 financial crisis. The office has awarded 316 contracts cumulatively since 2009, with 138 distinct prime contractors participating across the portfolio. Contract activity has declined materially in recent years—the office issued 3 awards in 2018, 4 in 2019, 5 in 2020, 2 in 2021, and 1 in 2022, with the most recent award closing on March 18, 2022. Combined contract potential value stands at $38.3 million, of which $36.3 million has been obligated.

The competitive base is highly fragmented. Over the last five years, Indev LLC holds the only recent award on record, a single contract valued at $418 thousand. The remaining 137 contractors in the all-time portfolio each hold few awards; no other vendor appears in the recent top-five ranking, suggesting minimal concentration among current or near-current active primes. The portfolio is characterized by broad vendor rotation rather than repeat business with established contractors.

Set-aside awards comprise 29 percent of all contracts. The majority of awards—71 percent—carry no set-aside designation. Small-business set-asides account for 16 percent of awards; 8(a) sole-source awards comprise 11 percent. Service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone, and HUBZone sole-source designations together represent 2 percent of awards. The mix reflects an agency that prioritizes open-market competitive procurement but maintains a material reserve for small-business participation.

Contract activity has effectively ceased. No awards are recorded after March 2022, and the annual cadence collapsed from five awards in 2020 to one in 2022. This decline aligns with the mission of the office—as TARP-related financial-crisis lending wound down and oversight activities matured, the demand for new contract support diminished substantially. Vendors pursuing active engagement with the Special Inspector General should monitor for solicitations, but the current portfolio signals minimal near-term procurement momentum.