Glossary

US federal contracts

Also called government contract, USAspending

Contracts US federal agencies sign with companies for goods and services; the amount, recipient and place of performance are public on USAspending.

Which contracts are public?

Contracts signed by agencies such as the Department of Defense, Health and Human Services or Energy show the contract number, amount, company, period and place of performance. For defence, IT and health-care companies they bear directly on revenue.

A contract is often modified several times and grows, so new awards and modifications are worth reading apart.

Whalegun shows awards of $10 million or more to listed companies by agency and company, and notes any member who traded the stock within 30 days of the award.