How to Find Your Target Market in Government Contracting (DHS Case Study: $32.9B)
In this video we deep dive into Department of Homeland Security's $32.9 billion in contract spending for FY2025.
This data-driven analysis breaks down 34,335 contract awards to show you exactly how DHS buys, which offices are spending, competition levels, and the contract vehicles they use.
I analyzed every DHS contract award from fiscal year 2025 to give you a complete roadmap for selling to this agency. Whether you're a business targeting federal contracts, a government sales professional, or a consultant helping companies win federal work, this analysis reveals the exact buying patterns you need to know.
**ANALYSIS INCLUDES:**
• $32.9B in total DHS spending across 34,335 awards
• Average competition levels (3.59 offers per solicitation)
• Top buying offices and their specific purchasing missions
• Contract vehicle analysis (GSA, CBP, NASA SEWP, CIOSP3)
• NAICS and PSC code breakdowns by spending volume
• September spending spike (40% of annual budget)
• Small business vs. full and open competition rates
This is the exact methodology I use to build federal spending roadmaps for companies and consultants. The same analysis process works for any federal agency - you just need to know how to extract and interpret the data.
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## CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction - DHS Contract Analysis Overview
01:00 Understanding Federal Spending Data
02:00 Competition Analysis - Average Offers Per Solicitation
03:00 Reading the Competition Numbers
04:00 Competition Landscape Breakdown (70% Full & Open)
05:00 Set-Aside Categories and Market Research Phase
06:00 Fiscal Timing Intelligence - September Spike
07:00 Fallout Funds and End-of-Year Strategy
08:30 Year-End Positioning for Contracts
09:00 Top Vendors Analysis (Overall Market)
10:00 Small Business Set-Aside Vendors
11:00 Contract Vehicle Deep Dive Begins
12:00 What is a Contract Vehicle?
13:00 Competition Requirements and Acquisition Timeline
14:00 GSA Schedule Explained
15:00 Top Contract Vehicles Used by DHS
16:00 GSA Usage Statistics (10% of Spending)
17:00 Top Buying Offices - Where the Money Flows
18:00 ICE Headquarters Contracting Division
19:00 IT and Cybersecurity Contracting Division
20:00 Finding the Right Acquisition Office
21:00 Air and Marine Contracting Division
22:00 GSA as Mechanism vs. Buyer
23:00 NAICS Code Analysis Begins
24:00 Top NAICS Codes by Spending Volume
25:00 Security Guards and Patrol Services ($3.3B)
26:00 Engineering and Shipbuilding Spending
27:00 Product Service Code Analysis
28:00 Construction Dominates Top PSC
29:00 Ammunition and Aircraft Maintenance Spending
30:00 Validating Data Across Classifications
31:00 Coast Guard and ICE Spending Segments
32:00 Key Takeaways - Vehicles and September Timing
33:00 Year-Over-Year Comparison Questions
34:00 Data Sources and Disclaimer
35:00 Career Opportunities in Government Contracting
36:00 Next Steps and GovClose Program
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**LEARN FEDERAL CONTRACTING:**
GovClose teaches you three revenue paths in government contracting:
1. Land six-figure account executive positions
2. Build a solo consulting business
3. Help companies win government contracts
Start today with GovClose: https://www.govclose.com
About the Author
Rick Howard is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former federal acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in government contracts during his military career. After retiring from active duty, he founded GovClose, a government contracting education and certification company focused on helping professionals and businesses understand how federal markets actually work.
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