How to win federal environmental remediation contracts
To win federal environmental remediation contracts, register in SAM.gov, find notices under the environmental remediation NAICS codes in the states you work in, and bid first on small business set-asides, which made up 71% of the 214 environmental remediation solicitations posted in the last 12 months. Today there are 19 open notices, and the busiest buyer over the past year was the Department of the Air Force.
The market today
Right now there are 19 open federal environmental remediation notices, 10 of them open for bids. 2 close within the next 7 days. 12 are set aside for small or certified businesses, so fewer companies can compete. Over the last 12 months agencies posted 214 environmental remediation solicitations and published 55 awards with a median value of $206K. The busiest buyer was the Department of the Air Force, with 39 solicitations.
| Open notices today | 19 |
| Closing within 7 days | 2 |
| Set aside for small or certified businesses | 12 |
| Solicitations posted in the last 12 months | 214 |
| Published awards in the last 12 months | 55 (median $206K) |
From public SAM.gov data, updated October 20, 2026. See every open environmental remediation notice.
Who buys environmental remediation work
Environmental cleanup is bought by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the military services: soil and groundwater remediation, asbestos and lead abatement, munitions and fuel site cleanup.
The busiest buyers in the last 12 months:
- Department of the Air Force: 39 solicitations
- Department of the Army: 36 solicitations
- Department of Veterans Affairs: 30 solicitations
- US Fish and Wildlife Service: 16 solicitations
- Department of the Navy: 15 solicitations
The states with the most open environmental remediation work today: New Mexico (1), California (1), Colorado (1), Alabama (1), Puerto Rico (1), Georgia (1).
Rules to know before you bid
- Workers on hazardous sites need OSHA hazardous waste operations (HAZWOPER) training, and abatement work requires the licenses of the state where it is done.
- Contractors are usually asked for pollution liability insurance in addition to general liability.
- Large programs are often multiple-award contracts, with work ordered task by task; smaller jobs and subcontracts are posted openly.
NAICS codes for environmental remediation
Agencies tag each notice with one NAICS code, and that code sets the size standard for small business set-asides. These are the codes BidFox follows for environmental remediation:
How to win your first one
- Register your business in SAM.gov (free) and list every NAICS code above that you can really perform. How to register.
- Watch the notices in your states every day, including sources sought and presolicitations, which tell you what is coming.
- Start with small set-aside jobs close to home: they have fewer bidders and build the past performance you need later.
- Read the whole solicitation, ask questions before the deadline and acknowledge every amendment.
- Look at who holds the large regional contracts in your area and offer subcontract capacity: it is the usual entry point.
Questions
How many federal environmental remediation contracts are open right now?
On October 20, 2026 there were 19 open environmental remediation notices on SAM.gov, 2 of them closing within a week.
Which agencies buy the most environmental remediation?
Counting solicitations from the last 12 months: Department of the Air Force (39); Department of the Army (36); Department of Veterans Affairs (30).
Can a small business win federal environmental remediation contracts?
Yes. 71% of the environmental remediation solicitations in the last 12 months were set aside for small businesses or for certified firms such as 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB or WOSB.
How much are federal environmental remediation contracts worth?
The median published award in the last 12 months was $206K, across 55 award notices. Values vary widely and some contracts are awarded without a public notice.
What NAICS codes are used for environmental remediation?
The main ones are 562910 (Remediation Services).
Related guides
- Federal contract types explained: fixed-price, T&M, IDIQ and MATOC
- How to get federal subcontracts as a small business
- Sources sought, presolicitation, solicitation: SAM.gov notice types explained
Last reviewed October 20, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and dollar thresholds change, so check the solicitation and the official sources linked above.