About & methodology

ObligationWatch tracks where federal money is offered (solicitations), obligated (legally committed) and awarded, using official data and explaining it plainly.

Methodology

• Official public data only. Every figure comes from a government source: USAspending.gov, SAM.gov, Defense.gov contract announcements, NIH RePORTER, the NSF Awards API and SBIR.gov.
• Each chart names its source, endpoint and date range. We don't use leaks, estimates or third-party guesses.
• Amounts are as reported by the agency at the time we pulled them. Records can be revised later.

Caveats

• Reporting lag. Agencies report to USAspending on a delay, and recent weeks are often incomplete. Totals for recent periods tend to rise as more data comes in.
• DoD delay. Department of Defense award data on USAspending is generally published about 90 days after the award. The daily Defense.gov announcements are more current but less detailed.
• Ceilings aren't spending. IDIQ contracts and similar vehicles announce a maximum (ceiling) value. The money actually spent comes from individual task orders and can be far lower.
• Obligation ≠ outlay. An obligation is a commitment to pay. Outlays (actual payments) may follow months or years later, and deobligations can show up as negative amounts.
• Opportunities aren't awards. A SAM.gov notice shows that money is offered, not that it will be awarded.

Nonpartisan statement

ObligationWatch is bipartisan and strictly factual. We don't endorse candidates, parties or policies, and we don't treat a contractor, grantee or agency as good or bad. We report what the official record shows. If you spot an error, tell us on X and we'll correct it publicly.