EPA Region 5

Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, a civilian sub-agency within the EPA, administers federal environmental remediation, compliance, and grant funding for the five-state Great Lakes and Upper Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). Region 5 procures both environmental services and equipment through federal contracts and distributes environmental infrastructure and restoration grants to state agencies and eligible recipients across its territory.

Region 5 awarded 3,870 federal contracts totaling $3.45 billion in combined potential value since 1997, with $3.13 billion obligated. Contract activity has declined modestly in recent years: 161 awards in 2022, 122 in 2023, 134 in 2024, 118 in 2025, and 89 year-to-date in 2026. The competitive landscape among prime contractors is moderately concentrated. Environmental Restoration LLC, Environmental Quality Management, Inc., and Tetra Tech, Inc. together hold 42% of recent awards by count. By potential value over the last five years, the top five primes—J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. ($134.8 million), EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC ($88.2 million), CH2M Hill, Inc. ($62.6 million), Environmental Restoration LLC ($62 million), and Tetra Tech, Inc. ($61.9 million)—account for 12% of combined potential value, indicating a long tail of smaller environmental contractors. Seventy-three percent of Region 5 contract awards carry no set-aside designation; 21% are small-business set-asides, and 2% are service-disabled veteran-owned small business or 8(a) sole-source awards.

Region 5 granted 2,646 awards totaling $13.5 billion in federal dollars obligated and $15.53 billion in total obligated value (federal plus non-federal share) since 2006. Grant volume peaked in 2024 at 494 awards before declining to 386 in 2025 and 88 year-to-date in 2026. Grant recipients are concentrated in state environmental and natural-resource agencies. The top five recipients by federal dollars obligated—Illinois Environmental Protection Agency ($2.35 billion), The State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management ($1.8 billion), Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy ($1.54 billion), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources ($1.2 billion), and Indiana Finance Authority ($1.01 billion)—hold 59% of recent federal dollars. Grant assistance is split among Project Grants (39%), Cooperative Agreements (34%), and Formula Grants (27%).

Recent Region 5 contract opportunities center on Emergency and Rapid Response Services VI (ERRS VI) solicitations set-aside for total small business (due November 13 and November 20, 2026), a small-business task-order opportunity for Schmalz Dump remediation (closed August 28, 2026), and a small-business purchase of analytical and precision balances with installation and calibration (closed August 27, 2026). The ERRS VI program spans Regions 4, 5, and 6 with staggered due dates. No recent grant opportunities are listed in the digest.