National Background Investigations Bureau

The Office of Personnel Management National Background Investigations Bureau, a civilian sub-agency of the Office of Personnel Management, administers federal background investigation and security clearance adjudication programs. The Bureau procures investigative services, case management systems, and adjudicative support to conduct and process federal background investigations for civilian agencies, the military, and other federal entities requiring personnel security clearances.

The Bureau closed most of its contract activity between 2016 and 2020, with 326 total federal contract awards spanning from March 2012 through September 2020. Award volume peaked in 2017 with 126 awards, then declined sharply: 59 awards in 2018, 33 in 2019, and 3 in 2020. No awards have been recorded since September 2020—a six-year gap. Combined award potential value totals $3.34 billion, with $1.42 billion obligated (43% of potential value), across 195 distinct prime contractors. The absence of recent activity suggests the Bureau either transitioned to a reduced contracting footprint, consolidated existing vehicles, or realigned its acquisition strategy during the period after 2020.

The contract portfolio is highly fragmented by prime contractor concentration. Over the 2016–2020 period, the top five contractors held a share of awards and combined potential value that reflects dispersed procurement across the vendor base. The Bureau awarded 87 percent of contracts without set-asides, indicating a predominantly full-and-open competition structure. Small-business set-asides (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB combined) accounted for 13 percent of awards, with individual designations—8(a) sole source, HUBZone, SDVOSB, SDVOSB sole source, and WOSB sole source—each appearing in one or two awards.

No recent federal contract opportunities are recorded against the Bureau. No contract awards have closed since September 2020, and no current contract solicitations or modifications are present in the source data. The six-year award gap and absence of open opportunities suggest the Bureau is not actively pursuing new contract work through traditional competitive awards at this time. Firms with historical relationships at the Bureau or those tracking potential re-competition should monitor for future agency reorganization or acquisition-strategy announcements, but the current contract pipeline is inactive.