# Federal Agencies Award $20.7M for 1776 Awards

Federal award records cited in an article show approximately $20.7 million in noncompetitive awards connected to the Presidential 1776 Award: two U.S. Department of Education orders totaling about $10.7 million for event planning, logistics, and ceremony video production, and a $10 million National Archives and Records Administration contract running through August 2027. The article raises questions about award methods, scope, and price transparency, including the use of simplified acquisition procedures for the $10 million award. It reports no evidence of legal violations and notes that the relevant contracts and supporting documents were not reviewed.

- The Education Department orders were issued in January and March 2026; the NARA contract was recorded on September 30, 2026, with performance through August 31, 2027.
- For procurement teams, the reported awards highlight the importance of documenting acquisition-method rationale, requirements, and pricing—particularly when using noncompetitive procedures or simplified acquisition methods.
- Contractors in event planning, logistics, and video production can use the stated scopes as an indication of the services involved, but the signals do not identify a forthcoming solicitation or establish future demand.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Education
**Published:** October 18, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Education (ED)
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

### Vendors
- Miami Environmental & Energy Solutions LLC (prime contractor and awardee)
- Cape Fox Endeavor, LLC (prime contractor and awardee)

### Sources
- [This is a perfect instantiation of what's wrong with federal procurement!

The 1776 contest award seems like a great project, but the contractors for the event got $43 for every $1 the students got in prize money for winning the actual event

https://t.co/TplCeZhQYM](https://x.com/tarlywaste/status/2111853193366036832) - twitter-fed-procurement