NAICS 541830: Media Buying Agencies
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in purchasing advertising time or space from media outlets and reselling it to advertising agencies or individual companies directly. Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in--Show more
NAICS 541830 – Media Buying Agencies encompasses firms that plan, negotiate, and purchase advertising space and time across traditional and digital media channels on behalf of government clients. These agencies specialize in media strategy, audience targeting, campaign optimization, and performance analytics to ensure federal communications initiatives reach intended demographics efficiently.
Industry Spending Overview
Federal obligations, top contractors and agencies, and related industry codes for NAICS 541830.
AI Industry Description
NAICS 541830 – Media Buying Agencies encompasses firms that plan, negotiate, and purchase advertising space and time across traditional and digital media channels on behalf of government clients. These agencies specialize in media strategy, audience targeting, campaign optimization, and performance ...
NAICS 541830 – Media Buying Agencies encompasses firms that plan, negotiate, and purchase advertising space and time across traditional and digital media channels on behalf of government clients. These agencies specialize in media strategy, audience targeting, campaign optimization, and performance analytics to ensure federal communications initiatives reach intended demographics efficiently. In the government contracting landscape, this sector supports public awareness campaigns, recruitment drives, health outreach programs, and civic engagement efforts, often aligning with broader public affairs and marketing objectives. Media buying agencies operate at the intersection of communications, data analytics, and procurement, leveraging programmatic advertising, audience segmentation, and cross-platform media planning to maximize message impact within constrained federal budgets. No contractor data is available for this NAICS code. The competitive landscape appears fragmented, with potential participation from specialized communications firms, digital marketing boutiques, and large primes with integrated media services divisions. Small businesses with expertise in digital media placement and compliance with federal advertising regulations may find opportunities in niche segments. No agency data is available for this NAICS code. Primary demand likely stems from agencies with public outreach mandates, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Department of Defense, particularly for recruitment, veteran services, and public health campaigns. Spending is typically tied to fiscal-year communication plans and seasonal initiatives requiring rapid media deployment. The market is characterized by low concentration and high project-based demand, with opportunities emerging for contractors who can demonstrate compliance with federal advertising standards, transparency in media spend, and measurable outcomes. Trends suggest increasing reliance on digital and data-driven media buying, creating demand for firms with expertise in programmatic advertising, social media targeting, and performance-based contract structures.
Small Business Size Standard
The SBA threshold that decides who can bid NAICS 541830 work as a small business.
The SBA cap for this NAICS (13 CFR 121.201). A business at or under it can self-certify as small for work in this code, which is what makes it eligible for a small-business set-aside. The cap is set per NAICS, so the same company can be small in one code and not in another.
13 CFR 121.201, effective January 1, 2026. The SBA revises the table roughly once a year.
Top Contractors
Companies with the highest total award value under NAICS 541830, ranked by dollars won.
| Company | Total Awards | Contracts |
|---|---|---|
| ADVANCED BUSINESS SOFTWARE CONSULTING, LLC | $10.7M | 1 |
| ARGENT ARC LLC | $184K | 1 |
| IPSOS LIMITED | $20K | 1 |
| MISCELLANEOUS FOREIGN AWARDEES | $12K | 1 |
Top Agencies
Federal agencies directing the most contract spending toward NAICS 541830.
Competition
How many companies historically bid on federal awards in NAICS 541830, from bidder counts reported on USAspending.
Half or more of reported awards drew exactly one bidder, usually a sign of incumbent-held work rather than an open field. · 360 reported awards
Median Bidders
1
Per reported award, all-time
Single-Bid Awards
67%
Share of reported awards with one bidder
10+ Bidder Awards
5%
Share of reported awards with 10+ bidders
Reported Awards
360
91% of 395 total awards
Share of reported awards in each bidder-count bracket per federal fiscal year.
How this code compares up the NAICS hierarchy. Parent cohorts pool every code under their prefix, so they are the steadier baseline when a 6-digit sample is thin.
| Industry Family | Competition | Median Bidders | Single-Bid | Bidder Mix | Reported Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
541830This Code Media Buying Agencies | Usually Single-Bid | 1 | 67% | 36091% of 395 | |
54183NAICS Industry | Usually Single-Bid | 1 | 67% | 36091% of 395 | |
5418Industry Group Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | Usually Single-Bid | 1 | 57% | 31,71682% of 38,674 | |
541Subsector | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 49% | 2,918,78285% of 3,416,794 | |
54Sector Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 49% | 2,918,78285% of 3,416,794 |
Bidder counts reported on past federal awards in this NAICS (USAspending). An open opportunity has no bidders yet, so this is the historical norm for similar work, not a fact about this solicitation. Not all awards report bidder counts, and fewer bidders often means incumbent-held work rather than an easier win. Federal reporting of bidder counts fell from ~96% of awards (FY2016) to ~30% (FY2018 onward); the chart shows shares of reported awards, and washed-out stretches mark years with fewer than 30 of them.
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