Department of Labor Government Contracts — Contractor Guide
Researched by the BidStride Research Team
The Department of Labor promotes worker welfare, enforces labor laws, and administers unemployment insurance. DOL agencies include OSHA, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Employment and Training Administration. DOL contracts for job training programs, IT systems, labor market research, and administrative support.
Department of Labor awards approximately $1.5B+ in contracts annually with a 25% small business contracting goal. Typical contract types used include FFP, IDIQ, T&M, Grant (non-contract). All DOL solicitations above the simplified acquisition threshold are posted on SAM.gov.
$1.5B+
25%
of prime contract dollars
Key Procurement Offices
Department of Labor contracting is distributed across these offices and commands. Target your business development toward the offices most aligned with your capabilities, and build relationships before solicitations are released.
- DOL Business Operations Center (BOC)
- Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
- OSHA
- BLS
Top NAICS Codes — DOL Contracting
These NAICS codes appear most frequently in Department of Labor solicitations. Ensure your SAM.gov registration includes the codes matching your services.
Small Business Goals — DOL
Department of Labor has a statutory small business prime contracting goal of 25% of annual contract dollars. This applies across all socioeconomic categories including 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, and SDVOSB.
Ensure your certifications are current on SAM.gov to qualify for set-aside competitions. Contracting officers are required by law to first consider whether requirements can be met by small businesses before opening competition to all offerors.
Key Regulations — DOL Contracts
Contractors bidding on Department of Labor contracts should understand these regulations and clauses. Review them before submitting any proposal.
- DOLAR (Department of Labor Acquisition Regulation)
- FAR
- Davis-Bacon Act
- Service Contract Act
- Walsh-Healey Act
Always verify applicable clauses in the actual solicitation. Clause applicability depends on contract type, value, and specific program requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions — DOL Contracting
DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) administers the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and contracts for job training programs, career services, apprenticeship development, and workforce research. Job Corps, a DOL residential training program, contracts for center operations management — these are large, multi-year contracts operating facilities for at-risk youth.
DOL administers the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires prevailing wage payments on federally funded construction contracts over $2,000. While this is a regulation DOL enforces rather than a procurement requirement, construction contractors bidding on federal projects must comply with Davis-Bacon wage determinations. DOL's Wage and Hour Division investigates violations.
DOL contracts for ETA's workforce data systems, OSHA compliance tracking systems, BLS statistical data collection systems, and enterprise HR and financial management systems. DOL uses GSA GWAC vehicles for many IT needs. The IT modernization of unemployment insurance systems — many of which failed during COVID — has become a major priority driving new contract opportunities.
DOL has extensive expertise in labor law compliance and frequently incorporates wage rate requirements, Service Contract Act provisions, and affirmative action obligations into its contracts. Contractors bidding on DOL contracts should have strong labor law compliance expertise and be prepared to demonstrate compliance with wage determination requirements in their cost proposals.
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