Government contracts in Illinois
Federal contracts with Illinois as the place of performance: the ones open on SAM.gov right now, the agencies buying, the small businesses winning the work, and how much federal money goes to contracts in Illinois.
- Open contracts now
- 62
- Contract spending, FY2026
- $11.8 billion
- Share to small businesses
- 34%
Open contracts in Illinois, due soonest
- Fiber Coupled MgOLN Phase Modulator
Due in 2 daysOct 12, 2026
- Linear X-Nanopositioners
Due in 2 daysOct 12, 2026
- Dilution Refrigerator
✦ Argonne National Laboratory (Department of Energy) wants to buy a dilution refrigerator for its Q-NEXT quantum research center.
Due in 3 daysOct 12, 2026
- Brake Press Trainer Sources Sought
Due in 3 daysOct 13, 2026
- Brake Press Trainer – Freight and Delivery Sources Sought
Due in 3 daysOct 13, 2026
- Specialty Tooling, Materials, and Manufacturing Services
Due in 3 daysOct 13, 2026
What agencies are buying in Illinois
Open notices you can bid on (no sole-source or approved-source limit), by type of work:
- Construction & renovation: 10 open
- Electrical & electronic components: 8 open
- Manufactured parts & equipment: 8 open
- IT, software & telecom: 6 open
- Engineering, architecture & research: 4 open
- Medical & healthcare: 3 open
- Transportation, logistics & vehicles: 2 open
The most open work is in Rock Island (17), Scott Air Force Base (6), Lemont (5), Scott Afb (4) and Batavia (3).
Set-asides on open Illinois contracts
- No set-aside (full and open): 31
- Total small business set-aside: 15
- Service-disabled veteran-owned set-aside: 5
- Service-disabled veteran-owned sole source: 1
See which set-asides you may qualify for with the free SBA certification screener.
Federal agencies that spend the most in Illinois
Contract dollars for work performed in Illinois over the last three fiscal years, per USAspending.gov:
| Agency | Obligated |
|---|---|
| Defense Logistics Agency | $11.2 billion |
| Department of Energy | $6 billion |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $5.2 billion |
| Department of the Army | $4.7 billion |
| Department of the Air Force | $2.7 billion |
| Department of the Navy | $1.5 billion |
| Federal Acquisition Service | $1.4 billion |
| Ustranscom | $1.1 billion |
Federal contract spending in Illinois by year
| Fiscal year | Contract obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | $13.4 billion |
| FY2025 | $12.4 billion |
| FY2026 | $11.8 billion |
| FY2027 (so far) | $149.7 million |
The federal fiscal year starts October 1, so FY2027 began October 1, 2026.
Industries with the most federal work in Illinois
| NAICS | Industry | Obligated |
|---|---|---|
| 541710 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $3.5 billion |
| 339999 | All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $2.9 billion |
| 541715 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) | $2.8 billion |
| 423850 | Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $2.7 billion |
| 423450 | Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $2.5 billion |
| 324110 | Petroleum Refineries | $1.6 billion |
| 541330 | Engineering Services | $1.3 billion |
| 334511 | Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing | $1.3 billion |
Small businesses in Illinois
6,967 businesses in Illinois have active SAM.gov registrations and are small under at least one NAICS code or hold an SBA certification. Among them:
- 52 in the SBA 8(a) program
- 55 HUBZone-certified
- 2,096 women-owned small businesses
- 577 service-disabled veteran-owned (self-reported)
Small businesses in Illinois winning federal contracts
Small businesses based in Illinois with the most federal contract dollars over the last three fiscal years:
- W S Darley & Co, Itasca: $4.4 billion
- Supplycore LLC, Rockford: $1.9 billion
- DMS Pharmaceutical Group Inc, Park Ridge: $750.6 million
- Imt Defense Corp, Champaign: $323.8 million
- JC Technology Inc, Des Plaines: $119.9 million
- Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Company, Belleville: $108 million
- Jancorp, LLC, Rantoul: $92.3 million
- Vista Defense Technologies, LLC, Rock Island: $86 million
- Mistica Foods LLC, Addison: $70.5 million
- John Hofmeister & Son Inc, Chicago: $53.4 million
Who wins the most federal contract dollars in Illinois
Companies with the most contract dollars for work in Illinois over the last three fiscal years, per USAspending.gov:
| Company | Obligated |
|---|---|
| W S Darley & Co | $4.3 billion |
| Uchicago Argonne, LLC | $3.6 billion |
| Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation | $2.6 billion |
| Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC | $2.5 billion |
| Supplycore LLC | $2 billion |
| Medline Industries, LP | $1.8 billion |
| BP Products North America Inc. | $1.5 billion |
| Cardinal Health 200, LLC | $1.4 billion |
| DDB Chicago Inc. | $1.1 billion |
| W.W. Grainger, Inc. | $1 billion |
Large primes subcontract part of their work to small businesses. See how to become a government subcontractor.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find government contracts in Illinois?
Federal agencies post their contract opportunities on SAM.gov, the free official site, with the place where the work will be done. 62 open opportunities list Illinois as the place of performance right now. You can search them here by NAICS code, set-aside and agency, and get new ones by email for free.
How much does the federal government spend on contracts in Illinois?
Federal agencies obligated about $11.8 billion on contracts performed in Illinois in fiscal year 2026, according to USAspending.gov. About 34% of those dollars over the last three fiscal years went to small businesses.
Which agencies have the most open contracts in Illinois?
By open notices on SAM.gov right now: Dept of Defense, Department of Energy and Department of Veterans Affairs.
How many small businesses in Illinois are registered for federal contracts?
6,967 businesses in Illinois have active SAM.gov registrations and are small under at least one NAICS code or hold an SBA certification.
Where can a Illinois business get free help with government contracting?
APEX Accelerators offer counseling on registering, finding and bidding on government contracts, usually at no cost. There are more than 300 APEX offices nationwide, and the APEX Accelerators website has a locator for the nearest one.