Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Pascua Yaqui Tribe, a federally recognized Native American tribe based in Tucson, Arizona, acts as a recipient of federal grants and a prime contractor for Tribal Employment Rights Office services, operating across multiple federal grant programs and a narrow contract footprint serving its over 20,000 enrolled members. The tribe competes in full-and-open procurements with no set-aside designations on its minimal contract awards; the vast majority of its federal activity (96% of awards) flows through direct grants rather than contracts, placing it outside the typical small-business set-aside categories.

The tribe's federal transaction profile is dominated by grant awards from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, the Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and numerous HHS operating divisions. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families alone accounts for substantial volume across child welfare, foster care, adoption assistance, child care development, and family support programs (TANF, LIHEAP, CCDF, and related formula grants). The tribe operates as prime grant recipient on programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (CFDA 93.558, $4.324 million for FY 2026), Child Care and Development Block Grant Discretionary (CFDA 93.575, $4.285 million through September 2028), and Child Care and Development Fund Mandatory and Matching (CFDA 93.596, $329 thousand through September 2028). The Department of Health and Human Services also funds behavioral health and substance abuse initiatives including suicide prevention (Garrett Lee Smith Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention, cooperative agreement through September 2029), opioid intervention and prevention (SAMHSA programs running through January 2030), and the Sewa U'usim system-of-care programs addressing mental health and community wellness. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs funds tribal child welfare and family services, Indian Child Welfare Act Title II grants, and related governance and court operations. The tribe also receives formula grants from the Administration on Aging for older Americans services (Older Americans Act Title VI), from USDA for food distribution and nutrition education (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, CFDA 10.567, $645 thousand and $114 thousand for FY 2026), and from FEMA for homeland security preparedness ($4.207 million, September 2024 through August 2027).

The tribe's contract footprint is minimal and highly specialized. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission awarded the tribe four small firm fixed-price contracts for Tribal Employment Rights Office services: $33,000 (FY 2026, awarded October 1, 2025), $32,000 (FY 2025, awarded October 1, 2024), $32,000 (FY 2024, awarded October 1, 2023), and $30,000 (FY 2023, awarded October 1, 2022). These are the only prime federal contracts in the recent award footprint, and none carry set-aside designations.

The tribe acts as a sub-recipient on grant awards flowing through state and local pass-through entities. Recent sub-recipient work includes workforce development services under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Adult and Dislocated Worker programs administered by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, opioid and mental health services through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) funding through the Arizona Department of Health Services, and law enforcement equipment and training under the Department of Justice COPS Office Tribal Resources Grant Equipment and Training Program (pass-through via Justice and Security Strategies, Inc.). The tribe received $70,000 in public health preparedness sub-awards from AHCCCS/Arizona Department of Health Services (January 2026 and February 2024) and multiple WIOA sub-awards for youth, adult, and dislocated worker services.

Federal grant activity shows growth concentration in health, human services, and community development. Beyond child welfare and family support, the tribe operates Head Start programs (Office of Head Start, through December 2029), historic preservation office grants (National Park Service, CFDA 15.904, multiple cycles through September 2026), broadband infrastructure and telehealth deployment (National Telecommunications and Information Administration, through December 2028), emergency management and disaster preparedness (FEMA Homeland Security Grant Program and tribal homeland security initiatives through August 2028), and specialized health initiatives including diabetes prevention and treatment (Indian Health Services, through December 2027), produce prescription pilot programs (IHS cooperative agreement through June 2028), and tribal health and wellness programs centered on chronic disease prevention and opioid response. The tribe also receives grant support for education (Department of Education Language Nest Program, CFDA 84.215, $862 thousand through December 2025), transportation (Federal Transit Administration Section 5311 Tribal Transit Formula grants supporting contracted bus services), historic preservation, environmental capacity building (EPA Region 9), and library archival development (Institute of Museum and Library Services).

The award portfolio shows sustained activity across multiple federal fiscal years with 627 total awards (96% prime, 4% sub) spanning four to five decades of historical engagement. Recent annual award counts reflect a stable to slightly declining trend: 41 awards in 2022, 38 in 2023, 37 in 2024, and 25 through 2025, with combined potential value across the full portfolio of $11.5 million though obligated dollars total $527.9 million, indicating substantial drawdown and multi-year execution of formula and block grants. The top customer agencies by count include the Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs (84 awards), the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (subdivided across multiple operating divisions totaling 193 awards combined), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (21 awards, $343 thousand combined potential value). Thirty-four awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing routine recompete exposure for recurring tribal benefit and health programs. The tribe operates as a pass-through recipient and direct grant administrator for federal social services, health care, education, and public safety investments benefiting tribal members, with no significant private contractor relationships or vehicle-based task order activity.