Which Federal Agencies Spend the Most on Marketing?
Not all federal agencies are equal buyers of marketing and communications services. Some agencies — particularly those with large public-facing missions — spend tens of millions annually on advertising, outreach, web, and creative work. Others rarely issue marketing contracts at all.
Focusing your business development efforts on the right agencies dramatically improves your win probability. Here are the top 10 federal agencies for marketing and advertising contracts, based on USASpending.gov data.
1. Department of Defense (DoD) — Recruitment Advertising
The DoD — through its individual branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard) — is the single largest buyer of advertising services in the federal government. Military recruitment advertising alone represents hundreds of millions of dollars in annual contracts. The DoD Advertising Master Services Agreement (AMSA) consolidates much of this spend; getting on the AMSA vehicle is a major business development goal for large advertising agencies. Smaller agencies often find entry through branch-specific subcontracting or regional market buys.
Contract types: Integrated advertising campaigns, media planning and buying, digital advertising, social media, video production
Typical contract size: $1M–$500M (major AMSA awards); $50K–$5M for individual branch campaigns
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC regularly issues communications and marketing contracts for public health campaigns — anti-smoking, vaccine awareness, HIV prevention, opioid crisis response, and disease outbreak communications. Many of these involve multicultural marketing (reaching specific demographic groups) and social media management. CDC also issues significant grants through Grants.gov for community-level communications programs.
Contract types: Public health communications campaigns, social media management, multilingual outreach, health education materials
Typical contract size: $500K–$50M
3. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
The VA issues substantial marketing contracts for veteran outreach, benefits awareness, healthcare enrollment campaigns, and recruitment. With over 9 million enrolled veterans and a mandate to reach millions more who are eligible but unenrolled, VA's communications needs are significant and ongoing.
Contract types: Veteran outreach campaigns, digital advertising, community engagement, health communications
Typical contract size: $500K–$20M
4. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH funds research but also runs major public health communications programs. NIH's National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and other components regularly award contracts for consumer health communications, research awareness campaigns, and digital outreach. NIH also issues numerous grants for community health communications through Grants.gov.
Contract types: Health communications, consumer research, digital outreach, science communications
Typical contract size: $200K–$10M
5. USDA (Department of Agriculture)
USDA operates dozens of consumer-facing programs — SNAP (food stamps), WIC nutrition, school lunch programs, rural development — all of which require sustained marketing and outreach to reach eligible populations. USDA also funds agricultural marketing through its Agricultural Marketing Service and runs the iconic "America's Farmers" brand. Rural Business-Cooperative Service issues numerous outreach grants through Grants.gov.
Contract types: Nutrition program marketing, agricultural promotion, rural outreach, digital content
Typical contract size: $200K–$15M
6. State Department and USAID
The State Department and USAID fund international communications programs — public diplomacy campaigns, counter-disinformation efforts, and development communications in countries around the world. These contracts often require unique capabilities (foreign language, international media placement) but can be extremely high-value.
Contract types: International public diplomacy, counter-messaging campaigns, development communications
Typical contract size: $1M–$100M
7. General Services Administration (GSA)
GSA manages governmentwide digital services and issues significant web design, UX, and digital transformation contracts. GSA's Technology Transformation Services (TTS) is a major buyer of digital services. GSA also administers the Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), which includes IT and professional services — getting on the MAS Schedule makes you available to any federal agency without a separate procurement.
Contract types: Web design and development, UX research, digital transformation, content strategy
Typical contract size: $500K–$25M
8. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Beyond CDC and NIH, the broader HHS umbrella includes agencies like SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health), HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration), and CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — which runs HealthCare.gov). Each issues its own marketing and communications contracts.
Contract types: Health insurance outreach, mental health awareness, healthcare enrollment marketing
Typical contract size: $500K–$30M
9. Department of Education
The Department of Education issues communications contracts for financial aid outreach (FAFSA), student loan program communications, and education program awareness. State-level education agencies are also active buyers of web and marketing services.
Contract types: Student outreach, higher education communications, public awareness campaigns
Typical contract size: $200K–$10M
10. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA issues contracts for environmental communications, public education campaigns (energy efficiency, recycling, water quality), and digital outreach. EPA's communications needs are steady and often involve working with diverse community audiences.
Contract types: Environmental education, public awareness, digital content, community outreach
Typical contract size: $100K–$5M
How to Get on These Agencies' Radar
Winning a contract with a new federal agency rarely happens on the first bid. The most effective path:
- Register in SAM.gov and build a complete, keyword-rich profile
- Monitor new solicitations from your target agencies — respond to Sources Sought notices (informal market research) even when you're not ready to bid a full proposal
- Pursue subcontracting on existing prime contracts — many large agencies have small business subcontracting requirements, and prime contractors are actively looking for qualified subs
- Attend industry days — agencies host pre-solicitation events when planning major procurements. Attendance builds relationships and gets your name in front of program managers.
- Track past awards on USASpending.gov — understand who currently holds the contracts you want, what they were paid, and when those contracts expire