Notice to U.S. Department of Education (ED) Contractors:

This notice is to advise the ED contractor community that ED appropriations expired January 30, 2026. As of January 31, 2026, there are no annual appropriations for ED.

If a contract is not dependent on additional appropriations, performance must continue—unless the contractor receives formal notice to the contrary from a Contracting Officer. In the absence of such notification from a Contracting Officer, all ED contractors are expected to fully comply with the terms, conditions, requirements, and deliverables outlined in their contract(s).

If a contract is dependent on additional appropriations, the contractor must stop all work requiring additional funding unless the contractor receives specific written notification from a Contracting Officer identifying excepted activities that must continue. 

Until appropriations become available, ED will be working with a very limited staff, so you may be contacted by another Contracting Officer within ED.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued partnership with ED as we work together to manage this lapse in appropriations.