The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preparing HOPSS (HHS One Professional Services Solution), the follow-on to NIH’s Scientific Operations and Administrative Resources (SOAR) contract. Managed by NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Office of Acquisitions, HOPSS carries the predecessor’s $3.6B ceiling and expands scope dramatically, from NIH-only to the entire HHS enterprise (13 operating divisions plus regional offices). Current forecasts point to an RFP in Q2 FY2027 and award in Q2 FY2028, with incumbents bridged through 2027.
HOPSS is a multiple-award IDIQ where every contract-holder must be capable of performing the entire Statement of Work, with options applied at the task order level (FAR 17.2). The work spans the following two broad task areas.
- STEM Services: scientific research support, bioinformatics, clinical research coordination, data science, laboratory, and engineering
- Business and Operational Services to support STEM: program management, grants management, acquisition support, administrative, and operations—drawing on labor categories from molecular biologists and statisticians to project managers and contract specialists
The structural story is the headline: HOPSS is anticipated as a small business set-aside (pending final determination), and none of the five current SOAR incumbents qualify, each having graduated past the $19M size standard under NAICS 541690. A small business set-aside on a $3.6B+ vehicle, with the large-business incumbents ineligible to compete, is a rare structural advantage for qualifying firms. With the RFP still more than a year out, firms have ample runway to assess fit, build teams, and develop capture strategy.
OPPORTUNITY SNAPSHOT
- Opportunity: HOPSS (HHS One Professional Services Solution)
- Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, administered by NIH / NIDA Office of Acquisitions
- Estimated Value: $3.6B+
- Estimated RFP: Q2 FY2027
- Estimated Award: Q2 FY2028
- NAICS: 541690 – Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services ($19M size standard)
- Contract Type: Multiple-award IDIQ
- Small Business Potential: Strong-anticipated small business set-aside (pending); all five SOAR incumbents ineligible (graduated past size standard)
- Duration: 5-year base ordering period (predecessor SOAR structure)
- Competition: Small Business Set-Aside (pending final determination)
- Place of Performance: HHS-wide (13 operating divisions plus regional offices); predecessor supports ~2,150 contractor staff
WHY HOPSS MATTERS
HOPSS is one of the largest professional-services vehicles in the federal civilian health space. The NIH-only predecessor SOAR has logged over $1.1B in spending across FY2022–2024 alone. HOPSS extends that reach across the entire HHS enterprise: CDC, FDA, CMS, ARPA-H, SAMHSA, and nine other operating divisions.
For small businesses, the eligibility math is the opportunity. Because all five SOAR incumbents have graduated past the $19M size standard, qualifying small businesses compete without entrenched large-business incumbents in the pool—an unusually open field for a vehicle this size. Given the breadth of the two task areas and the requirement to perform the full SOW, teaming is central. Competitive teams typically bring:
- Scientific research and laboratory support
- Bioinformatics
- Biostatistics and data science
- Clinical research coordination
- Health IT and software development in a life-sciences context
- Program and project management for federal health agencies
- Grants management and acquisition support
- Staffing for highly specialized labor
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER HOPSS
HOPSS is ideal for small businesses providing professional services in support of health research, public health, and HHS mission operations. Firms with experience in the following should assess their fit now:
- Scientific research support, laboratory services, or clinical research coordination
- Bioinformatics, data analytics, or biostatistics
- Health IT, software development, or data science in a life-sciences context
- Program and project management for federal health agencies
- Grants management or acquisition support
- Administrative and operational support for R&D programs
- Small businesses under NAICS 541690
HOW OST CAN HELP
With the RFP more than a year out, HOPSS is in the capture and positioning phase, which provides the necessary time to assess fit, build teaming strategies, and develop competitive intelligence. Given the $19M size standard, teaming will be important for firms that need to demonstrate depth across the full SOW. OST supports professional-services firms pursuing complex HHS and NIH procurements with:
- Bid/No-Bid assessment: Evaluating alignment with HOPSS task areas, NAICS eligibility, and size-standard considerations
- Capture planning: Developing win themes and competitive positioning relative to incumbent and emerging competitors
- Teaming strategy: Identifying complementary partners via OST’s partnering portal (200+ companies, many with HHS and professional-services past performance) to cover both task areas
- Past performance strategy: Documenting relevant experience from federal, state, or commercial health and research sectors
- Proposal development: Technical approach, past performance narratives, and compliance for IDIQ submissions
With the large-business incumbents ineligible and a small business set-aside anticipated, HOPSS is one of the most accessible large professional-services vehicles in the federal health space. The firms that use this pre-RFP runway to confirm fit, build teams, and document past performance will be best positioned when the solicitation drops. If this interests you, please book a call with OST Partner and President Bill Schalik via the button below.
Schedule a discussion today.
