NEZ Perce Tribe

The Nez Perce Tribe, a federally recognized sovereign Native American tribe headquartered in Lapwai, Idaho, acts as a recipient of federal grants and as a prime contractor delivering cultural resource management, natural resource stewardship, environmental compliance, fish hatchery operations, and social services to federal agencies across the Pacific Northwest. The Tribe operates 1,013 prime awards (96% of total) spanning federal contracts, contract vehicles, and grant agreements, with recent activity averaging 42 awards per year across 98 distinct federal agencies. The Tribe's federal work reflects its governance status and tribal authority rather than commercial competition; it does not pursue set-aside categories applicable to for-profit vendors.

The Tribe's capability footprint centers on four concrete service pillars. First, cultural resource management and historical preservation: archaeological surveys, traditional cultural property monitoring, historic context statements, and Determination of Eligibility assessments across the Columbia River Basin and Clearwater River watershed, performed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under a one-million-dollar indefinite delivery contract (W912EF20D0003) and multiple task orders valued at tens of thousands each. Second, natural resource stewardship and fisheries: operation and maintenance of Dworshak and Kooskia National Fish Hatcheries producing spring Chinook, coho, and steelhead juveniles; spawning ground surveys; water rights administration; and fish passage barrier removal in partnership with Fish and Wildlife Service. Third, environmental compliance and water quality: mercury and pesticide monitoring, brownfields assessment and remediation, air quality monitoring and regulatory compliance, and riparian habitat restoration funded by EPA and the Bureau of Reclamation. Fourth, human services and community development: child support enforcement, TANF and child care administration, victim services for survivors of violence and crime, elder care, youth prevention programming, and workforce training administered through HHS ACF, Office on Violence Against Women, and Administration on Aging.

Customer concentration reflects the Tribe's role as a direct-service provider to federal land management and tribal affairs agencies rather than a commercial vendor. The top five customers by award count—HHS Administration for Children and Families (82 awards), Bureau of Indian Affairs (64), Army Corps of Engineers (49), EPA (38), and Fish and Wildlife Service (37)—represent 26% of all awards. The Corps of Engineers dominates by potential value: 49 awards worth $3.6 million combined, with 36 awards through the Portland Engineering District worth $2.4 million. The top parent vehicle, Basic Ordering Agreement GS10B05798, carries 117 task orders worth $40.2 million in combined potential value; this is the Tribe's primary vehicle for delivering Corps consultation, technical assistance, and cultural resource services across the Pacific Northwest.

Recent activity shows decline: the Tribe averaged 52–65 awards annually from 2022–2024, dropping to 35 in 2025 and 13 through mid-2026. A recompete cliff of 63 awards completing within twenty-four months carries $693 thousand in combined potential value—modest absolute dollars but representing recompete and renewal risk across contracts for hatchery operations, cultural resource surveys, and environmental monitoring. Combined potential value across all awards stands at $67.7 million; obligated dollars total $486.1 million, indicating substantial prior-year obligations and ongoing project work.

The Tribe's subcontractor footprint is minimal (37 sub-awards, 4% of total). The source identifies federal sub-awards from prime grantees including the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (Women, Infant & Children services; crime victim services; recovery capacity-building), the University of Idaho (agricultural management and food systems development), the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (fish passage and habitat restoration projects). These are federal pass-through arrangements rather than vendor subcontracting relationships.

Federal grant work dominates the Tribe's footprint and reflects its status as a tribal government serving tribal members and managing federal funds on behalf of the reservation. Notable grants include $37.3 million from EPA for climate pollution reduction and residential energy efficiency (October 2024–September 2029), $17.5 million from USDA Forest Service for forest restoration and fuels reduction in the Lower Salmon Landscape (May 2024–September 2031), $8.7 million from EPA for climate action implementation (December 2024–November 2029), $3.14 million from USDA for Good Neighbor Authority forest management (September 2025–September 2035), and $2.06 million from NNSA for environmental restoration participation at the Hanford Site (October 2025–September 2030). HHS grants support TANF, child care, child support enforcement, and elder services; Department of Justice grants fund victim services, tribal justice infrastructure, and youth prevention programs; and Interior grants support hatchery operations, fish passage, and water rights administration. The Tribe receives formula allocations from HHS, Administration on Aging, and DOJ, reflecting eligibility as a federally recognized tribe, not competitive wins.

The Nez Perce Tribal Health Authority is the sole named subsidiary in the source, though its distinct role in the award portfolio is not detailed.