Subcontracting opportunities: NAICS 611310, Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools

19 prime contractors held small business subcontracting plans on 73 federal colleges, universities, and professional schools contracts (NAICS 611310) in FY2022–FY2024, worth $298M including options. Only primes that aren't small businesses need these plans, and each one sets goals for work the prime gives to small businesses, so these are the companies looking for small subcontractors in this industry.

Primes with plans
19
Plan contracts
73
Agencies
12
Total value
$298M

A free account shows the primes that subcontract 611310 work in your state and the small businesses they hire.

Primes with subcontracting plans in 611310

Most plan contracts first.

Prime contractorPlan contractsValueMain agencies
University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · part of University System of Maryland31$115MWashington Headquarters Services (WHS), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)+3 more
Cubrc, Inc.Buffalo, NY10$59.8MDepartment of the Army
University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK · part of University of Alaska System6$22.8MWashington Headquarters Services (WHS)
Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX4$6.6MDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Christus Santa Rosa Health Care CorporationSan Antonio, TX3$20.4MDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT3$3.6MDepartment of the Air Force
Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, theSan Francisco, CA · part of State of California2$4MCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
University of ArizonaTucson, AZ2$2.6MSmithsonian Institution
The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Inc.Pensacola, FL2$1.8MDepartment of the Army
University of ArizonaTucson, AZ1$22.4MCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Johns Hopkins University, theBaltimore, MD1$7.9MDefense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
University of MemphisMemphis, TN1$7.2MDepartment of the Army
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN1$5.9MDepartment of the Navy
Board of Regents of the University of NebraskaOmaha, NE · part of University of Nebraska1$4.1MOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA)
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA1$3.6MCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, thePhiladelphia, PA1$3.4MOffice of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC1$2.9MDepartment of the Navy
University of California, San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · part of California State of1$2.2MCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Regents of the University of Colorado, theAurora, CO1$1.8MOffice of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

Which agencies

AgencyPlan contractsValue
Washington Headquarters Services (WHS)18$77M
Department of the Army13$68.8M
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)11$20.1M
Department of Veterans Affairs7$27.1M
Department of the Air Force6$23.9M
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention5$32.3M
Department of the Navy5$26.2M
Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response2$5.2M
Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA)2$3M
Smithsonian Institution2$2.6M

Where the work is

Maryland (27), New York (10), Texas (7), Alaska (4), California (3), Montana (3), Virginia (3), Arizona (3), Rhode Island (2), Tennessee (2), and 7 more.

How to win subcontracts with these primes

  1. Register in the prime's supplier portal. Most large primes have one, usually under “supplier diversity” or “small business programs” on their website. Buyers search it when they need a subcontractor, so list your NAICS codes, certifications and past work.
  2. Contact the small business liaison officer. Every prime with a plan names someone to run it. Find them through the supplier portal, or for defense primes in DoD's prime contractor directory. Send a one-page capability statement that names the contracts and agencies you can support.
  3. Watch SBA's SubNet. Primes post subcontracting solicitations and sources sought notices on SubNet.
  4. Be easy to vet. Keep your SAM.gov registration active and check that you count as small under 611310's size standard. Certifications such as 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB and SDVOSB count toward the prime's goals, which makes you more valuable to them.
  5. Get free help. APEX Accelerators introduce small businesses to primes and run matchmaking events. Our guide to becoming a government subcontractor covers the rest.

More on 611310: open contracts and top small-business winners. Primes also post subcontracting opportunities on SBA's SubNet.

Frequently asked questions

What is a small business subcontracting plan?

Under FAR 19.702, a large business that wins a federal contract over $900,000 ($2 million for construction) with subcontracting possibilities must agree to a plan with goals for subcontracting to small businesses, including small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone and service-disabled veteran-owned firms. The prime reports its progress twice a year in eSRS. Contracts awarded before October 2025 used the older $750,000 and $1.5 million thresholds.

How do I become a subcontractor to these 611310 primes?

Register in the prime's supplier portal (most large primes have one, often called supplier diversity or small business programs), keep your SAM.gov registration active, and send the prime's small business liaison officer a capability statement that names the contracts and agencies you can support. Primes need small subcontractors to meet their plan goals, so being easy to find and easy to vet matters.

Where does this data come from?

Primes and their plan contracts come from SBA's Directory of Federal Government Prime Contractors with Subcontracting Plans for FY2022–FY2024, which is drawn from FPDS. Recent subcontracts come from the subaward reports primes file on USAspending.gov (most subcontracts over $30,000 on prime contracts over $750,000 must be reported). A subcontractor is shown as a small business when it has an active SAM.gov registration as small under at least one NAICS code, or an SBA certification.

Source: SBA's directory of prime contractors with subcontracting plans (FY2022–FY2024, from FPDS) and USAspending.gov subaward reports. Contact names are never shown. Values are base plus all options, not what has been paid.