Top USDA research and development in the social sciences and humanities contractors
In the 12 months ending Nov 5, 2026, the Department of Agriculture obligated $5.2M in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 541720, up 234.5% from $1.5M in the preceding 12 months. 14 prime contractors received positive obligations, and 7 of them accounted for 80% of that spend.
Prime contracts funded by the Department of Agriculture. Latest 12 months: Nov 6, 2025 to Nov 5, 2026. Source: USAspending.gov.
See 1 potential recompetes ↓Obligations by fiscal year
Net prime contract obligations by federal fiscal year (October to September).
Top USDA contractors for NAICS 541720
Ranked by positive obligations in the latest 12 months. Share is of all positive obligations in this market.
| # | Contractor | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Share | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numerator, LLC | $795K | $0 | 15.4% | New |
| 2 | North Wind Resource Consulting LLC | $689K | $145K | 13.3% | ▲ 3 |
| 3 | R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. | $675K | $409K | 13.0% | ▼ 2 |
| 4 | Richard Grubb and Associates, Inc. | $595K | $0 | 11.5% | New |
| 5 | Westat, Inc. | $590K | $0 | 11.4% | New |
| 6 | Applied Earthworks, Inc. | $582K | $0 | 11.3% | New |
| 7 | Research Triangle Institute | $522K | $0 | 10.1% | New |
| 8 | Acacia Heritage Consulting LLC | $189K | $316K | 3.6% | ▼ 6 |
| 9 | Cornerstone Environmental Consulting LLC | $137K | $0 | 2.6% | New |
| 10 | Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc. | $117K | $0 | 2.3% | New |
| 11 | Project Solutions, Inc. | $113K | $0 | 2.2% | New |
| 12 | Integrated Environmental Solutions LLC | $105K | $122K | 2.0% | ▼ 6 |
| 13 | Biophilia LLC | $35K | $0 | 0.7% | New |
| 14 | The Curators of the University of Missouri | $32K | $21K | 0.6% | ▼ 5 |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Numerator, LLC$0 → $795K (+$795K) · now #1
- Richard Grubb and Associates, Inc.$0 → $595K (+$595K) · now #4
- $0 → $590K (+$590K) · now #5
Largest declines
- The Markosky Engineering Group Inc$252K → $0 (−$252K) · no latest-period obligations
- American Resources Group Ltd$179K → $0 (−$179K) · no latest-period obligations
- Acacia Heritage Consulting LLC$316K → $189K (−$127K) · now #8
New to this market
6 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Numerator, LLC | Sep 25, 2026 | $795K |
| Richard Grubb and Associates, Inc. | Sep 30, 2026 | $595K |
| Westat, Inc. | Sep 29, 2026 | $590K |
| Research Triangle Institute | Sep 17, 2026 | $522K |
| Project Solutions, Inc. | Sep 1, 2026 | $113K |
| Biophilia LLC | Jun 10, 2026 | $35K |
Where the money comes from
Funding sub-agencies within the Department of Agriculture, latest 12 months. The funding organization can differ from the office that runs the requirement.
| Funding sub-agency | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | $3.3M | $1.5M | Up $1.7M (111.6%) |
| Economic Research Service | $1.3M | $0 | New |
| Food and Nutrition Service | $590K | $0 | New |
Potential recompetes
Large awards in this market whose current period of performance ends in the next 18 months. Treat these as research leads: options, extensions, and follow-on vehicles often change the timing.
| Award | Incumbent | Obligated | Current end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12048923C0001 | Applied Earthworks, Inc. CENTRAL OR/WA HERITAGE DATA MODERNIZATION & PREDICTIVE MODELS | $1.9M | Apr 16, 2028 |
Common questions
Who are the top USDA contractors for NAICS 541720?
In the latest 12 months, Numerator, LLC ($795K), North Wind Resource Consulting LLC ($689K), R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. ($675K) received the most USDA obligations for research and development in the social sciences and humanities.
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 89.6% of positive obligations, and Numerator, LLC alone held 15.4%. 6 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large USDA NAICS 541720 contracts ending soon?
1 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is 12048923C0001 (Applied Earthworks, Inc., $1.9M obligated), ending Apr 16, 2028. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
Related markets
NAICS 541720 across all agencies
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$32.8MDOT · NAICS 541720
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$14.6MDHS · NAICS 541720
$14.2MFigures are net obligations on prime contracts (award types A–D) from USAspending.gov, grouped by funding agency and the NAICS code on each award. Net obligations include deobligations and corrections, so they can differ from positive-obligation totals. See methodology.
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