HHS seeks temporary sole-source contract for Anthropic’s AI

Posted by Evie Kim Sing | Oct 28, 2026 | AI Infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to temporarily continue a contract with Anthropic without opening it to other companies. The contract gives HHS access to Anthropic’s Claude AI tools for business and government use. Anthropic has awarded a six-month contract that lets HHS staff keep using the services they already have.

As companies work to keep important AI tools available, experts in government contracts are raising concerns. They want to know how federal agencies can avoid becoming too dependent on one supplier during an emergency. They also warn against being locked into solutions that offer no way to leave before the government starts wider bidding processes that allow several companies to win contracts. The services covered include help with coding, AI systems that can carry out tasks on their own, and access to APIs, as reported by ExecutiveGov.

This temporary contract will give HHS time to carefully decide which AI tools to buy. The department must balance access to these tools with protecting federal data and keeping control over its own technology and information.

HHS rolled out Claude across the department in December, making it available to staff throughout the organisation.

This news shows how difficult it can be to buy advanced technology without becoming too dependent on a single provider for important systems, such as computer chips and cloud services. Governments and public agencies often want greater control over their technology choices and the ability to make their own decisions. They also want to turn broad ideas about digital independence, including those discussed in the European Union, into practical steps across the public sector. This means building local technology skills and services while continuing to work with international technology partners.