NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services) - The Federal Government's Go-To IT Services Code in 2026
NAICS 541519 is the catch-all that caught $35.7 billion. From FY2020 through FY2024, "Other Computer Related Services" accounted for over 159,000 federal contract actions — more than any other IT NAICS code by volume. In FY2025, it reclaimed the #1 spot on the GSA Schedule from 511210 (Software Publishers). If your firm delivers cybersecurity services, IT infrastructure support, disaster recovery, helpdesk operations, or managed IT services to government agencies, 541519 is almost certainly the code that determines whether federal buyers can find you — and whether you qualify as small.
TL;DR
- NAICS 541519 covers cybersecurity consulting, IT infrastructure support, disaster recovery, helpdesk and technical support, IT project management, cloud hosting, and managed services — the broadest IT services code in federal procurement.
- $35.7B awarded from FY20–FY24 across 159,000+ contracts, with $7.1B+ in GSA Schedule awards alone in FY2024.
- #1 GSA Schedule IT code in FY2025, reclaiming the top spot from 511210 after a one-year swap.
- Top buyers: DoD, DHS, VA, and HHS — with cybersecurity and Zero Trust driving sustained demand across virtually every civilian agency.
- Small business powerhouse: $30M size standard (revenue-based) with an alternate 150-employee standard for IT Value Added Resellers (ITVARs). Strong set-aside activity across DoD, VA, and DHS.
- CMMC is reshaping the competitive landscape: Phase 1 is underway (through late 2026), and contractors already certified are positioning ahead of those who wait.
- CLEATUS tracks all 541519 opportunities in real-time, surfaces competitive intelligence on incumbents and pricing, and matches IT services firms to winnable contracts automatically.
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NAICS 541519: Why "Other Computer Related Services" Is the Most Important IT Code You've Never Thought About
The name doesn't help. "Other Computer Related Services" sounds like a classification for things that didn't fit anywhere else — and in some ways, that's exactly what it is. NAICS 541519 was designed to capture IT services that fall outside custom programming (541511), computer systems design (541512), and computer facilities management (541513).
In practice, that "catch-all" scope is precisely what makes 541519 the single most important NAICS code for IT services contractors. It covers the work that federal agencies spend the most on: keeping systems running, keeping systems secure, and keeping systems recoverable when things go wrong.
The Spending Trajectory
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Awards FY20–FY24 | $35.7 billion |
| Total Contract Actions FY20–FY24 | 159,000+ |
| GSA Schedule Awards FY2024 | $7.1B+ |
| Total Federal Awards (All Vehicles) FY2024 | $7.57B+ |
| GSA Schedule Rank FY2025 | #1 IT NAICS Code |
Total Federal Spending (NAICS 541519, All Awards, FY2023) | $25B+ |
What's driving this? Three converging mandates are pouring money into 541519 services:
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Zero Trust implementation: Every federal agency is working toward Zero Trust Architecture compliance, with DoD targeting baseline compliance by FY2027. This means sustained multi-year contracts for identity management, network segmentation, continuous monitoring, and secure system configuration — all services that fall squarely under 541519.
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CMMC enforcement: The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification final rule took effect November 10, 2025. Phase 1 runs through late 2026 with Level 1 and voluntary Level 2 assessments. Contractors who help other firms prepare for and achieve CMMC certification are billing under 541519 — and demand is accelerating as mandatory Level 2 C3PAO assessments approach.
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IT modernization at scale: Federal civilian IT budgets hit $76.8 billion in FY2025, up 8.1% from FY2023. Agencies are mid-stream on cloud migrations, legacy system retirements, and infrastructure overhauls that create ongoing demand for the managed services, disaster recovery, and technical support classified under 541519.
Who's Buying 541519 Right Now?
541519 spending is distributed more broadly across agencies than most IT NAICS codes. DoD dominates total volume, but civilian agencies — particularly those with large IT footprints and high-security requirements — represent significant and growing buyer pools.
| Agency | Primary 541519 Focus Areas | Key Buying Vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | Zero Trust implementation, cybersecurity operations, IT infrastructure support, classified network services | SEWP, GSA MAS, Alliant 2, CIO-SP3 |
| Department of Homeland Security | CISA programs (CDM, JCE), SOC operations, threat intelligence, incident response | EAGLE II, GSA MAS, HACS SIN |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | EHR system support, IT helpdesk, credential services, infrastructure monitoring | T4NG, SEWP, GSA MAS |
| Health & Human Services | Healthcare IT security, cloud migration support, data protection, compliance monitoring | CIO-SP3, GSA MAS, SEWP |
| Department of Justice | Digital forensics, cybersecurity operations, managed IT services, disaster recovery | GSA MAS, ITSSC |
Capture Insight: DHS — specifically CISA — is the fastest-growing buyer in this space. The FY2025 CISA budget included $3 billion total, with $1.7 billion for cybersecurity programs alone. The Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program, which deploys security tools across civilian agencies, received $470 million. If you provide endpoint security, identity management, or continuous monitoring services, CISA-adjacent contracts represent a significant pipeline.
What Does 541519 Actually Cover?
This is where contractors most often get tripped up. The name "Other Computer Related Services" suggests a narrow residual category, but in practice it covers the majority of operational IT services the federal government buys.
Included Under 541519:
- Cybersecurity consulting and assessment — penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk analysis, security audits
- IT infrastructure support — network administration, server management, storage optimization, backup services
- Disaster recovery and business continuity — DR planning, backup and recovery services, continuity of operations support
- IT helpdesk and technical support — Tier 1/2/3 support services, end-user computing, desktop management
- IT project management and outsourcing — managed IT services, staff augmentation for IT operations
- Cloud hosting and managed cloud services — cloud migration support, managed hosting, hybrid cloud operations
- Data recovery and storage services — data backup, archival, recovery operations
- Software installation and configuration — non-customized deployment, configuration management, patch management
- Credential services — identity verification, credential service provider (CSP) services under NIST SP 800-63
NOT 541519 (Use These Instead):
- Custom software development → 541511
- Systems integration and design → 541512
- Computer facilities management → 541513
- Commercial software licensing/SaaS → 511210
- Data hosting/cloud infrastructure (IaaS) → 518210
- Management consulting → 541611
Classification Tip: The dividing line between 541519 and 541512 trips up many contractors. If you're designing and building systems from scratch, that's 541512. If you're operating, maintaining, securing, or recovering existing systems, that's 541519. Many IT firms legitimately use both — 541512 for project-based integration work and 541519 for ongoing managed services.
The CMMC Factor: How Cybersecurity Certification Is Reshaping 541519
CMMC is the single biggest competitive dynamic in the 541519 space right now, and it works both as a requirement and an opportunity.
CMMC as a Requirement on 541519 Contracts
DoD began including CMMC clauses in solicitations when the final rule took effect in November 2025. Phase 1 — running through late 2026 — requires Level 1 self-assessments and allows voluntary Level 2 C3PAO (third-party) assessments on applicable contracts. By November 2028, Level 2 certification will be required on all solicitations involving Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
For IT services contractors working under 541519, this means:
If you hold or pursue DoD contracts involving CUI, you need to be actively working toward CMMC Level 2 compliance. Self-assessment against NIST SP 800-171's 110 security requirements is the minimum. Contractors who wait until 2028 will face a bottleneck of C3PAO assessment capacity and a competitive disadvantage against firms already certified.
If you support non-DoD agencies, watch for CMMC-like requirements spreading. DHS, DOE, and other agencies are adopting similar cybersecurity standards for contractors handling sensitive data. The 541519 contracts most likely to include these requirements are exactly the ones involving security operations, cloud hosting, and infrastructure management.
CMMC as an Opportunity for 541519 Firms
The flip side is that CMMC creates enormous demand for the services classified under 541519. Contractors across the defense industrial base — from small parts suppliers to mid-tier services firms — need help preparing for assessments, remediating gaps, and maintaining continuous compliance.
| CMMC Phase | Timeline | 541519 Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Nov 2025 – Late 2026 | Gap assessments, remediation consulting, SPRS score preparation, Level 1 self-assessment support |
| Phase 2 | Late 2026 – Nov 2028 | Level 2 C3PAO assessment prep, Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) support, continuous monitoring implementation |
| Phase 3+ | After Nov 2028 | Ongoing compliance monitoring, managed security services, assessment renewal support |
Preparation costs for CMMC Level 2 certification range from $200,000 to over $2 million for mid-sized defense contractors, depending on existing security maturity. That spending flows overwhelmingly through 541519-classified services.
Pricing Patterns & Market Intelligence
Unlike product-oriented codes like 511210, pricing under 541519 is predominantly labor-rate-driven. Understanding the rate structure by service tier is critical for competitive positioning.
Labor Rate Benchmarks (FY2024–2025 GSA Schedule Awards)
| Service Category | Typical Rate Range | Demand Trend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity Engineer / Analyst | $130–$220/hr | ↑ High | Zero Trust and CMMC skills command premium |
| IT Infrastructure / Systems Admin | $85–$150/hr | → Stable | Steady demand; cloud skills increase ceiling |
| Helpdesk / Desktop Support (Tier 1–2) | $45–$85/hr | → Stable | High volume, competitive pricing pressure |
| Disaster Recovery / COOP Specialist | $120–$190/hr | ↑ Growing | Federal agencies updating DR plans post-shutdown disruptions |
| IT Project Manager | $110–$180/hr | → Stable | PMP + ITIL + active clearance maximizes rate |
| Managed Services (Per-Seat/Per-Device) | $80–$250/seat/mo | ↑ Growing | Agencies shifting from T&M to outcome-based pricing |
Pricing Reality: Security clearances dramatically affect pricing. A cybersecurity engineer with an active TS/SCI can command $50–80/hr more than an equivalent engineer without clearance. For 541519 contracts involving classified systems — which is a significant portion of DoD work — clearance inventory is a competitive differentiator as important as technical capability.
Contract Type Distribution
541519 contracts show a more varied pricing structure than many IT NAICS codes:
Time & Materials (T&M) remains dominant for helpdesk, staff augmentation, and project-based IT support — roughly 40% of contract actions. Firm Fixed Price (FFP) is increasingly common for managed services, SOC operations, and defined-scope cybersecurity assessments — about 35% and growing. IDIQ task orders account for the balance, typically through GWACs and agency-specific contract vehicles.
The trend toward FFP and outcome-based pricing for managed services is significant. Agencies are moving away from buying labor hours and toward buying outcomes — "maintain 99.9% uptime" rather than "provide 3 FTEs." Contractors who can price on outcomes rather than hours have a structural advantage.
Small Business Angle (Set-Asides & Strategy)
541519 has earned the reputation as the "Small Business Kingpin" of federal IT — and the data backs it up. Small business participation is consistently strong across all major buying agencies, and the set-aside landscape is favorable.
Size Standard & Qualification
- General Size Standard: $30 million average annual receipts (5-year calculation)
- ITVAR Exception: 150 employees — applies specifically to IT Value Added Resellers providing multi-vendor hardware/software plus significant value-added services (15–50% of contract value)
- Recertification: Annual via SAM.gov — track your approach to the threshold carefully
The $30M standard accommodates growth-stage IT services firms well. However, the SBA's most recent proposed rule (August 2025) left 541519 unchanged — if anything, the SBA considered lowering the standard before making a policy decision to hold it steady.
Set-Aside Availability
| Set-Aside Type | Best 541519 Opportunities |
|---|---|
| Total Small Business | Helpdesk, desktop support, managed IT services, cybersecurity assessments |
| 8(a) | Sole-source up to $4.5M — ideal for cybersecurity and IT infrastructure work where agencies need to move fast |
| SDVOSB | VA is the strongest buyer; DoD components also have strong SDVOSB preference for IT support |
Growing category in tech — DHS and HHS are active buyers | |
| HUBZone | Price evaluation preference; effective for competitive helpdesk and IT support bids |
Strategies for Small IT Services Firms
1. Lead with Cybersecurity Credentials
Certifications carry disproportionate weight in 541519 evaluations. At minimum, your team should hold CompTIA Security+, CISSP, or CISM credentials. For higher-value contracts, CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP) or Certified CMMC Professional (CCP) designations signal to evaluators that you can deliver. If your firm provides CMMC preparation services, being a Registered Provider Organization (RPO) is increasingly expected.
2. Build Your Clearance Inventory Early
Security clearances create a competitive moat in 541519. Small businesses with cleared personnel can compete for contracts that exclude most of the market. Invest in sponsoring clearances for key staff — even before you have the contract that requires them. The lead time (6–18 months for Secret, longer for TS/SCI) means you need to start well before the opportunity appears.
3. Start with Agency-Specific IT Support Contracts
Large enterprise-wide cybersecurity contracts attract the biggest primes. Small businesses often find faster paths to revenue through agency-specific IT support, helpdesk, and desktop management contracts. Once you build past performance at a specific agency, you become the known quantity for follow-on cybersecurity and managed services work.
4. Position as a Subcontractor on GWACs
Major contract vehicles like Alliant 2, CIO-SP3 (and its successor CIO-SP4), and SEWP are awarded to prime contractors who need subcontractors to fill specialized roles. If getting your own GWAC seat isn't feasible yet, position your firm as a cybersecurity or IT support subcontractor to primes who hold these vehicles.
5. Target the CMMC Preparation Market
Tens of thousands of defense contractors need CMMC compliance help. If your firm can deliver gap assessments, remediation plans, and ongoing monitoring services, this is a market that barely existed two years ago and is growing rapidly. The work is inherently 541519.
Key Contract Vehicles for 541519
Understanding which vehicles agencies use to buy 541519 services is critical for pipeline development. Here are the primary vehicles driving IT services procurement:
| Vehicle | Scope | 541519 Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| GSA MAS (IT Large Category) | Government-wide, all agencies | Primary vehicle for 541519 task orders. SIN 541519CSP (Credential Service Providers) added in 2024 for NIST SP 800-63 services. |
| SEWP VI | NASA-managed, government-wide GWAC | Strong for IT infrastructure, cybersecurity tools, and managed services bundled with hardware |
| CIO-SP3 / CIO-SP4 | NIH-managed, government-wide GWAC | IT services focused; CIO-SP4 awards are coming online with expanded cybersecurity scope |
| Alliant 2 / Alliant 3 | GSA enterprise IT GWAC | Large-scale IT operations, managed services, cybersecurity programs |
| EAGLE II | DHS enterprise IT | Primary vehicle for DHS cybersecurity and IT infrastructure work |
Vehicle Strategy: If you don't hold a GWAC position, GSA MAS is your most accessible entry point. Getting your IT services on GSA Schedule under NAICS 541519 opens you to task orders from every federal agency. The SIN structure allows you to be precise about which services you offer — and the new 541519CSP SIN is a differentiated position for firms offering digital identity and credential services.
541519 vs. Adjacent IT NAICS Codes: Where You Should Register
One of the most common mistakes IT contractors make is registering under too few NAICS codes — or the wrong ones. Here's how 541519 relates to the codes it's most often confused with:
| NAICS Code | Focus | Size Standard | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 541519 | IT services, cybersecurity, helpdesk, DR | $30M | Operating, securing, supporting existing systems |
| 541511 | Custom software programming | $34M | Building custom applications, software development |
| 541512 | Computer systems design | $34M | Designing and integrating systems architecture |
| 511210 | Software products and SaaS | $38.5M | Licensing commercial software you built |
| 541611 | Management consulting | $24.5M | IT strategy, organizational consulting, CMMC advisory |
Most IT services firms should register under at least 541519 and one adjacent code. If you do cybersecurity consulting AND build custom security tools, register under both 541519 and 541511. If you also resell and configure commercial security software, add 511210. More codes means more visibility in agency searches — as long as you can legitimately deliver the services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How CLEATUS Helps IT Services Contractors Win 541519 Contracts
The 541519 market is massive — $7.5B+ annually and growing — but navigating it manually is a full-time job. Between SAM.gov, GSA eBuy, agency-specific portals, and subcontracting marketplaces, the discovery problem alone can consume your entire BD week.
AI-matched pipeline, not keyword searches. CLEATUS's Auto Capture continuously monitors federal, state, and local sources — over 40,000 in total — and scores 541519 opportunities against your company profile. NAICS codes, certifications, past performance, clearance levels, geographic preferences, and contract size are all factored in. You start each day with a prioritized feed, not an unfiltered wall of listings.
Competitive intelligence built in. Who won the last contract? What did they charge? When does the incumbent's period of performance end? CLEATUS connects award data with solicitation information to surface the competitive context that takes hours to extract from SAM.gov manually — and that FPDS no longer provides at all.
Solicitation analysis in minutes, not hours. When you find a 541519 opportunity worth pursuing, CLEATUS's Contract Breakdown scans every document in the solicitation package — base RFP, amendments, attachments, wage determinations — and organizes everything into the Uniform Contract Format (Sections A–M). No more spending three hours reading a solicitation just to decide whether to bid. Ask the GovCon Copilot targeted questions and get cited answers tied to the exact page and paragraph.
From analysis to proposal. The AI Proposal Suite generates compliance matrices mapped to Section L/M, pulls relevant past performance from your uploaded history, and creates structured first drafts aligned to evaluation criteria. For 541519 contracts where the compliance requirements can run to dozens of specific certifications, clearance levels, and technical standards, having an AI that tracks every requirement across every document is the difference between a compliant submission and a missed clause that disqualifies you.
– John Garnish, Business Development Lead, D2 Government Solutions
What Contractors Are Experiencing
The IT services advantage compounds across every customer we work with:
D2 Government Solutions, an SDVOSB with 300+ employees, was spending 8 hours daily just searching for opportunities across portals. With CLEATUS, they achieved 75% faster opportunity discovery and 3x more proposals with the same team — including IT services contracts they would have missed entirely under their manual process.
Operation Hired replaced their fragmented mix of generic AI tools and spreadsheets with CLEATUS and achieved 6x proposal throughput in 10 weeks. The GovCon Copilot became their "first-read" expert for IT services solicitations — breaking down complex cybersecurity and technical support requirements instantly.
MST Maritime went from 3 proposals per month to 10+, with 3x faster proposal development and 75% faster opportunity discovery. Same team. Same resources. Different platform.
Start Winning IT Services Contracts
541519 is the backbone of federal IT services procurement — and the cybersecurity, Zero Trust, and CMMC dynamics driving it forward show no signs of slowing. Whether you're an established IT services firm looking to scale your federal business or a cybersecurity specialist breaking into government contracting, the opportunity window is wide open.
The contractors who are winning aren't the ones with the best portal search queries. They're the ones using platforms that connect opportunity discovery, competitive intelligence, solicitation analysis, and proposal development into a single workflow — so they can spend their time on strategy and relationships instead of manual data entry.
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Further Reading
- NAICS 511210 (Software Publishers) — The #1 IT NAICS Code for Federal Contracts in 2026
- NAICS 541511 (Custom Software) — Prices, Top Agencies & Small-Business Tactics
- NAICS 541611 (Management Consulting) — Buyers, Prices, and Small-Business Tactics
- FPDS Is Gone. Here's How Smart Contractors Are Accessing Government Contract Data Now.
- Stop Prompt Engineering. Start Winning Contracts.
Customer Stories
- How D2 Government Solutions Tripled Growth Without Adding Staff
- How Operation Hired Achieved 6× Proposal Output with CLEATUS AI
- How MST Maritime Quadrupled Proposal Output with CLEATUS AI
About CLEATUS
CLEATUS is an AI-powered government contracting platform that helps contractors find opportunities, analyze requirements, track competitors, and win more contracts — at a fraction of traditional capture costs. We aggregate federal, state, local, and city opportunities; our GovCon Copilot analyzes solicitations and your internal documents to deliver actionable market intelligence that drives revenue growth.