🇺🇸Federal Spending Data

USAspending.govPlaybooks

Step-by-step guides to navigating federal spending data — from contracts and grants to agency budgets and award recipients.

Playbooks

38+

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Public Data

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Recommended Learning Path

Start here. Build foundational skills in order — each playbook unlocks the next.

📋

ContractsFind your first contractNot startedBeginner

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🎓

Federal GrantsLocate a federal grantNot startedBeginner

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🏢

RecipientsProfile any organizationNot startedIntermediate

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🏛️

Agency SpendingRead an agency budgetNot startedIntermediate

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— recommended for new learners

Filter:

📋

Beginner

Find Contract Awards

Search & analyze federal contracts by agency, vendor, or keyword

10 min6 steps

Government vendorsJournalistsResearchers

Start

🏛️

Intermediate

Track Agency Spending

Analyze how a federal agency spends its budget over time

15 min5 steps

Policy analystsOversight staffJournalists

Start

🎓

Beginner

Research Federal Grants

Find and analyze federal grants by program, recipient, or geography

12 min5 steps

NonprofitsUniversitiesLocal governments

Start

🏢

Intermediate

Investigate a Recipient

Build a complete spending profile for any federal award recipient

15 min5 steps

InvestigatorsCompetitorsJournalists

Start

🔍

Advanced

Federal Account Explorer

Trace spending from Congressional appropriations to awards

20 min5 steps

Budget analystsHill staffAuditors

Start

🌪️

Intermediate

COVID & Disaster Spending

Analyze emergency relief funds — COVID-19, hurricanes, and federal disasters

15 min6 steps

JournalistsOversight staffPolicy analysts

Start

⚙️

Advanced

API & Bulk Downloads

Access federal spending data programmatically for research or tools

25 min6 steps

Data journalistsResearchersDevelopers

Start

Four multi-page guides — DoD contracting, federal grants, SBIR/STTR, and disaster funding.

How Pentagon money is structured in federal data — vehicles, orders, sub-agencies, and expiring work.

Defense vendorsCapture teamsOversight analysts

IntermediateOpen guide

🎓

4-page guide

Federal Grants

Grants are a different machine from contracts. Four pages on programs, recipients, and geography.

NonprofitsUniversitiesLocal governments

SBIR and STTR aren't a single data field. Four pages on finding the awards anyway — and reading a company's trajectory.

Deep-tech foundersUniversity labsR&D analysts

Emergency money moves differently. Four pages on funding codes, agency breakdowns, and reconciling the numbers.

JournalistsOversight staffEmergency managers

IntermediateOpen guide