# How do I find the incumbent on a federal contract? Find the current award for the same work: search awards from the same contracting office with the same NAICS and PSC codes and a similar description, ending around the new solicitation's start. Many solicitations name the predecessor contract number, which leads straight to the incumbent in USAspending or this API's /awards/{piid}. Read the solicitation first. FOIA requests for the current contract are the slow route when nothing is published.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [USAspending.gov award search](https://www.usaspending.gov/search) | Best match field | Contracting office code | | --- | --- | | Then | PSC, NAICS, description | | Awards loaded | 114,954 | | Registrations expiring in 90 days | 171,147 | ## The answer in detail Read the solicitation first. Statements of work, Q&A responses and sources sought notices often cite the current contract number or say the work is a follow-on. FOIA requests for the current contract are the slow route when nothing is published.When matching by fields, the contracting office code is the strongest signal, then PSC (what is bought) and NAICS. The incumbent's other awards from the same office show how embedded it is.Then check the incumbent's registration: an expiring or excluded registration (171,147 active registrations expire within 90 days) changes the competitive picture. ## How the options compare | Option | Price | Access and limits | Coverage and history | Best for | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [USAspending API (official)](https://api.usaspending.gov/docs/endpoints) | Free, no key | No key and no published daily cap | Prime awards and subawards back to FY2001; no SAM.gov registration status or expiry | Award and spending history | 2026-11-12 | | [GovCon API (govconapi.com)](https://govconapi.com/pricing) | Developer $19/mo, Pro $39/mo; 14-day trial | 1,000 requests an hour (50 a minute burst); trial 50 a day | 12,265,150 contracts and 758,552 opportunities from FY2025; 904,090 entities, monthly | Developers who want the lowest entry price and FY2025+ history | 2026-11-15 | | [HigherGov](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) | Starter $500/yr, Standard $2,500/yr, Enterprise custom | API on paid plans; 10,000 records a month as its API page stated on 12 Nov 2026 | Opportunities, awards, awardees, IDVs and forecasts in a search UI with exports | Small BD teams who want a polished search UI | 2026-11-15 | | [samgovapi.io](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) | Free (100 credits a month, no card); Developer $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo | 20 to 180 requests a minute by plan, no daily cap; REST, MCP and keyless MCP search | 881,370 entities (1 Nov 2026 extract), 74,420 notices, 169,191 exclusions, 114,954 awards since 1 Oct 2026 | Developers and AI agents who want entities, bids and exclusions joined in one API | 2026-11-15 | ## Where samgovapi.io is the weaker choice - Award history is short: 114,954 prime awards with action dates from 1 Oct 2026 to 10 Nov 2026 (fiscal year 2027 so far). USAspending goes back to FY2001 and GovCon API serves 12.27 million contracts from FY2025. ## Try it Awards from one agency in one PSC code, newest first, to shortlist the incumbent. ``` import os, requests r = requests.get( "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/awards", params={"agency": "Department of Veterans Affairs", "psc": "R499", "limit": 50}, headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY']}"}, timeout=30, ) body = r.json() print(body["meta"]["as_of"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]) print(body["data"]) ``` ## Questions Do agencies have to say who the incumbent is?No, but many do in the solicitation, Q&A or a sources sought notice.Can I see the incumbent's price?Award records show obligated and potential values, not line-item prices; those may be available through FOIA. ## Related - [Recipe: find the incumbent on a contract](https://samgovapi.io/agents/recipes/find-the-incumbent-on-a-contract) - [Contract awards](https://samgovapi.io/awards) - [API docs](https://samgovapi.io/docs) - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [Answers](https://samgovapi.io/answers)Updated 2026-11-15. Sources checked 2026-11-15.Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by GSA, SAM.gov or any U.S. government agency. Registering in SAM.gov is free at sam.gov.

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