Structural flags

End-of-fiscal-year obligation concentration

The government’s budget year ends September 30, and money not spent can be lost next year. These contracts had most of their money promised in September — the last month — which can mean rushed spending.

Rule end_of_fy_obligation_spike (methodology v1.3.0) — 140 awards. Complete sortable table →

Preview: 10 largest of 140 by obligated amount — the full table is sortable over the complete set.

Competed award, single offer received

These contracts were officially open for any company to compete, but only one company showed up. Sometimes only one company really can do the job; sometimes the contest was set up so only one could win.

Rule single_bid_competed (methodology v1.3.0) — 178 awards. Complete sortable table →

Preview: 10 largest of 178 by obligated amount — the full table is sortable over the complete set.

Obligations ≥ 3× initial obligation

These contracts grew to at least three times the money they started with, through later changes. Some contracts are planned to grow; others grow past what was originally agreed.

Rule modification_growth (methodology v1.3.0) — 463 awards. Complete sortable table →

Preview: 10 largest of 463 by obligated amount — the full table is sortable over the complete set.

Same recipient, same contracting office: sub-threshold awards summing past $250K within 7 days

Purchases of $250,000 or more require extra competition rules. These groups of smaller purchases — same buyer office, same company, same week — add up past $250,000, which is what deliberately splitting one big purchase into small ones would also look like.

Rule split_purchase_pattern (methodology v1.3.0) — 2,658 awards. Complete sortable table →

Preview: 10 largest of 2,658 by obligated amount — the full table is sortable over the complete set.

Award amount within 5% below the $250K simplified acquisition threshold

These purchases came in just barely under the $250,000 line where stricter rules kick in. One alone means little; a buying office with many of these deserves a closer look.

Rule just_under_threshold (methodology v1.3.0) — 1,013 awards. Complete sortable table →

Preview: 10 largest of 1,013 by obligated amount — the full table is sortable over the complete set.

Under 5% of obligated dollars disbursed at least halfway through the period of performance

The government promised this money a while ago, but almost none of it has actually been paid out yet, even though the work period is at least half over. That is normal for things built slowly — ships, buildings, long research — and sometimes worth a closer look for things that are not.

Rule outlay_lag (methodology v1.3.0) — 121 awards. Complete sortable table →

Evaluable population as of FY2026 P9: 2,737 awards carry linked File C outlay data; 1,100 of those meet the rule’s $1,000,000 obligation floor; 655 have also reached its timing gates (at least one year and at least half the period of performance elapsed). Awards outside these gates are not evaluated — the flag count is a statement about this population, not about federal spending at large.

Preview: 10 largest of 121 by obligated amount — the full table is sortable over the complete set.