Why CDC and HHS Are the Most Important Federal Buyers for Communications Agencies
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its operating divisions — most notably the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — collectively represent the single largest federal buyer of marketing, public outreach, communications, and creative services in the civilian government.
HHS contracts span everything from multi-million-dollar national public health campaigns to task orders for social media support, video production, and web content. Unlike defense contractors, which require classified clearances and defense-specific experience, HHS marketing contracts are accessible to commercial health communications agencies and, in many cases, general marketing agencies with relevant portfolio work.
This guide explains how HHS procurement works, what CDC and its sister agencies look for in vendor partners, and how to position your agency to win.
How HHS Contracting Works
HHS is a decentralized department with 11 major operating divisions, each with its own contracting authority. CDC (Atlanta), NIH (Bethesda), SAMHSA, HRSA, CMS, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health all issue contracts independently. This decentralization matters: a contract with CDC does not automatically give you access to NIH contracts, and vice versa. Building relationships with each division's contracting office is valuable.
HHS uses several procurement vehicles for marketing and communications:
- Open competition solicitations — posted on SAM.gov, open to any qualified vendor
- Small business set-asides — reserved for firms meeting SBA size standards; very common for smaller HHS communications contracts
- IDIQ task orders — task orders issued under existing IDIQ contracts; you need to be on the IDIQ vehicle to compete
- Sole-source awards — for specialized requirements or emergencies; rare, but valuable for incumbent vendors
What CDC Buys (and What It Looks For)
CDC's communications contracts cover a wide range of health topics and formats:
- Vaccination awareness campaigns (flu, childhood immunization, COVID)
- Chronic disease prevention outreach (diabetes, heart disease, obesity)
- Injury prevention communications (opioid overdose, fall prevention, road safety)
- Social media content and community management
- Video production (public service announcements, educational content)
- Multilingual and multicultural outreach (Spanish, Haitian Creole, and other languages)
- Digital advertising and media buying for public health campaigns
- Health communication research (message testing, audience segmentation, focus groups)
CDC evaluators look for demonstrated experience in health communications specifically — not just general advertising or marketing. Commercial portfolio work helps, but documented public health, nonprofit health, or government health communications experience is weighted heavily in past performance evaluation.
Key NAICS Codes for HHS Work
- 541810 — Advertising Agencies (most common for campaigns)
- 541613 — Marketing Consulting Services (strategy and research)
- 541820 — Public Relations Agencies (media relations, crisis comms)
- 541910 — Market Research and Public Opinion Polling (audience research)
- 512110 — Video Production (PSAs, educational video)
- 519130 — Internet Publishing (digital content, social media)
Register for all codes that accurately describe your services in SAM.gov before bidding on HHS contracts.
Building a Track Record That Wins HHS Work
Nonprofit and Academic Health Client Work Counts
If your agency has worked with health nonprofits, hospital systems, public health departments, academic medical centers, or foundations — this work is highly relevant to HHS evaluators. Document these engagements carefully, with quantified outcomes where possible. "Designed and executed a flu vaccination outreach campaign for [Regional Health System] that increased vaccination rates by 18% among adults 65+" is a strong past performance reference for CDC work.
State and Local Health Department Experience
Many state health departments are funded by CDC grants and run campaigns that mirror CDC's national work. Experience with state health communications — especially CDC-funded programs — is excellent preparation for federal contracts and demonstrates familiarity with the government health communications environment.
Multilingual Capability Is a Differentiator
HHS agencies consistently prioritize outreach to underserved communities. Spanish-English bilingual capability is essentially table stakes for many HHS campaigns. Native language capabilities in other languages (Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Somali, Arabic, etc.) can be a significant competitive differentiator, particularly for specific community health campaigns.
How to Find CDC and HHS Solicitations
CDC and HHS contracts are posted on SAM.gov. Filter by agency (HHS) and NAICS code (541810 or others above). New solicitations typically appear with 30–45 day response windows, so monitoring SAM.gov frequently — or using an automated tool like PitchGov — is essential for not missing opportunities.
Also monitor Grants.gov. HHS and CDC post communications and outreach grants there — particularly for smaller outreach projects, community health education, and pilot programs. These are structured as grants rather than contracts but often involve the same type of creative and communications work.
Building Agency Relationships Before the RFP
CDC and HHS contracting officers and program managers attend industry conferences, respond to vendor outreach, and hold industry days. Getting known before a solicitation opens significantly improves your chances:
- Respond to Sources Sought and Request for Information (RFI) notices — these are pre-solicitation documents that invite vendor input before the formal RFP is issued
- Attend HHS small business events and vendor outreach sessions
- Monitor the HHS Forecast of Contract Opportunities, which lists planned procurements
- Build relationships with health communications prime contractors who hold CDC IDIQ vehicles — subcontracting opportunities are common