Office of the General Counsel

The National Science Foundation Office of the General Counsel is a civilian sub-agency within the NSF that procures legal, administrative, and operational support services to advance the agency's governance and compliance functions. The Office of the General Counsel awards contracts for services including legal representation, human resources support, records management, and related administrative work that enable NSF's broader science-funding mission.

The Office has awarded 55 federal contracts totaling $9.3 million in combined potential value since 2010, with $8.4 million obligated (91% of potential value). Recent activity shows 6 awards in 2022, 2 in 2023, 4 in 2024, 1 in 2025, and 2 so far in 2026, reflecting modest and irregular procurement volume. The most recent award closed on 2026-10-01.

Contract competition is highly concentrated. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. dominates the award count with 8 awards over the last five years, worth $3.2 million in combined potential value. Tinker Salome Chris Enterprise, LLC holds 2 awards ($983 thousand), while Icallidus, Inc., West Publishing Corporation, and Hrworx, LLC each hold 1 award. These five primes account for 87 percent of recent awards by count and 59 percent by potential value; the remaining 12 distinct primes hold the long tail. Seventeen contractors have transacted with the Office across the entire portfolio.

Set-aside usage is minimal. Seventy-eight percent of awards carry no set-aside designation. Eight percent are 8(a) Sole Source awards (4 awards), 4 percent are Total Small Business (2 awards), and 2 percent each are Woman-Owned Small Business and Woman-Owned Small Business Sole Source designations (1 award each). The Office transacts primarily in the unrestricted competitive space.

No recent contract opportunities or grant opportunities are recorded against the Office. The Office does not administer grant programs; all recorded activity is contract-based. Pursue only if your firm has active relationships with the top incumbents or operates in specialized legal, HR, or administrative-services niches NSF may require. Activity remains infrequent and concentrated, limiting pipeline predictability.