A small business gets a $3.5 million government contract without competition

The US government awarded a $3.5 million contract to Tetrad Services, Inc. without opening it up for bids. This means a specific small business, certified as a HUBZone company, received the contract directly.

Government contracts are usually competitive, which means many companies bid for the work. But some contracts are set aside for specific types of businesses, like those in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZones). This contract shows the government is using these set-aside programs to direct spending to specific companies without a bidding process. It means that for certain types of work, the government prioritizes social policy goals over open competition.