Big Five Community Services, Inc.

Big Five Community Services, Inc., a non-profit organization headquartered in Durant, Oklahoma, operates as a federal grant recipient focused on early childhood education, family support services, and community development programming, with the vast majority of its federal footprint (70%) routed through sub-awards rather than direct prime grants. The vendor has received three direct Head Start project grants from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, including a $2.92 million five-year Head Start award effective February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2031, funding comprehensive early childhood education and family support services in the Oklahoma City service area for low-income children and families.

Big Five Community Services' customer concentration is heavily tilted toward HHS and USDA nutrition programs. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families together account for 79% of recent awards across the portfolio. The organization's sub-award work is dominated by Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursements flowing from the Oklahoma Department of Education, which represent the bulk of the 40 sub-awards in the portfolio dating back to 2021. Additional sub-award streams include Community Services Block Grant funding from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (with four full-time equivalent jobs supported as of 2025) and Formula Grants for Rural Areas for public transportation assistance. The award portfolio also reflects participation in the Corporation for National and Community Service programs.

Activity has concentrated heavily in 2024, which saw 24 awards—a marked spike from six awards in 2023 and one in 2022. This upward trajectory reflects Big Five Community Services' increasing role as a sub-recipient for nutrition and early childhood education delivery across Oklahoma. The combined dollars obligated across all 57 awards (prime and sub combined) stands at $304.2 million, reflecting substantial multi-year project values, particularly the five-year Head Start cooperative agreements. As a non-profit grant recipient with demonstrated expertise in early childhood development and federal grant management, Big Five Community Services operates under the requirement to provide a 20 percent non-federal match on its prime Head Start awards and is measured against federal performance standards for school readiness outcomes, health and family well-being metrics, and federal compliance. The organization's footprint is geographically concentrated in Oklahoma, with service delivery in Oklahoma City and surrounding rural regions.