AbilityOne

What AbilityOne does

The U.S. AbilityOne Commission is an independent federal agency established in 1938 under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, operating the AbilityOne Program to create employment opportunities for Americans who are blind or have significant disabilities. The Commission administers a statutorily mandated federal procurement set-aside under which designated federal agencies purchase qualifying products and services from approximately 400 qualified nonprofit agencies employing people with disabilities. These nonprofit agencies — known as Network Distribution Enterprises — operate under the oversight of Central Nonprofit Agencies (CNAs), currently the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), SourceAmerica, and (since 2018) the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB).

The program's product and service portfolio is centered on the SKILCRAFT® brand and includes janitorial and custodial services, food service, IT and cybersecurity services, facility management, and a broad manufacturing base anchored in office and military-spec supplies. Distribution runs through roughly 1,000+ locations across all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, including more than 160 on-base Base Supply Centers. In FY 2025, the program reported $4.7 billion in product and service sales to federal customers, with the Department of Defense as its largest customer, followed by the Departments of Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, the General Services Administration, and Customs and Border Protection. The Commission cites a return of $2.66 for every $1 in program spending.

The Commission's business model is not commercially revenue-driven. It is funded primarily through congressional appropriations and program fees paid by participating nonprofit agencies, with the program itself acting as a federally mandated procurement channel rather than a sales-generating enterprise. Approximately 41,000 people with disabilities are employed through the program, including 2,800+ veterans, and the program's central economic claim is mission output — sustained employment for individuals with significant disabilities — rather than margins. The value proposition is therefore dual: enabling federal mission delivery while advancing a statutorily defined employment outcome.

Name

AbilityOne

Legal name

Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled

Website

https://abilityone.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The U.S. AbilityOne Commission is an independent federal agency that runs a statutorily mandated procurement program channeling federal purchases through ~400 nonprofit agencies, employing 41,000 Americans with disabilities (including 2,800 veterans) and delivering $4.7 billion in FY 2025 product and service sales across all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federal Procurement Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Help Supply Services (7363), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Federal procurement program
• Disability employment services
• Government supply products
• Nonprofit agency network
• Military base supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Procurement Revenue: The AbilityOne Program generates revenue through mandatory federal procurement. Federal agencies purchase products and services furnished by nonprofit agencies employing people with disabilities. The program delivered $4.7 billion in sales to federal agencies in FY 2025.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The U.S. AbilityOne Commission administers the AbilityOne Program, a mandatory federal procurement program under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act that requires federal agencies to purchase products and services from nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or have significant disabilities. The program supplies a Procurement List of products (aircraft/vehicular equipment, clothing/textiles, food processing, medical/dental supplies, and office supplies, including the SKILCRAFT® brand) and services (custodial, contact center, document management, fleet management, food services, healthcare environmental, supply chain management, and total facilities management) to federal customers.

Product overview

The AbilityOne Program is a federal procurement program that creates employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities by requiring federal agencies to purchase products and services from nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or have significant disabilities. The program offers two primary product categories through its Procurement List: (1) Products under the SKILCRAFT® brand and other product lines including aircraft/vehicular equipment, clothing/textiles, food processing, medical/dental supplies, and office supplies; and (2) Services including administrative support, contact centers, contract management, custodial, document management, fleet management, food services, grounds maintenance, healthcare environmental, hospitality, laundry, secure document destruction, secure mail, supply chain management, and total facilities management. Products and services are distributed through over 160 Base Supply Centers at military installations and via the eDecision portal for commission governance. The program delivered $4.7 billion in sales to federal agencies in FY 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SKILCRAFT: A brand of products manufactured by AbilityOne-participating nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or have significant disabilities. SKILCRAFT products are available through the AbilityOne program to Federal agencies.

Products and services

• SKILCRAFT® Products SKILCRAFT® is a registered trademark brand of products manufactured by employees who are blind or have significant disabilities for the AbilityOne Program, distributed to federal agencies through the Procurement List.
• Procurement List Products Products furnished by nonprofit agencies employing individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities, available to federal agencies through mandatory procurement. Categories include aircraft/vehicular/electrical equipment, clothing/textiles, food processing/packaging, medical/dental supplies, and office supplies/furnishings.
• Procurement List Services Services furnished by nonprofit agencies employing individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities, including administrative, contact center, contract management support, custodial, document management, fleet management, food services, grounds maintenance, healthcare environmental, hospitality, laundry, secure document destruction, secure mail, supply chain management, and total facilities management.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.66 return on investment for every $1 spent to administer the Program (2023 study)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• National Industries for the Blind (NIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two central nonprofit agencies designated by the Commission to facilitate the AbilityOne Program. NIB supports nonprofit agencies serving people who are blind and manages procurement list additions for products.
• SourceAmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two central nonprofit agencies designated by the Commission to facilitate the AbilityOne Program. SourceAmerica supports nonprofit agencies serving people with significant disabilities and manages service contracts.
• Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary DoD partner for AbilityOne procurement; memorandum of agreement signed for manufacturing and development sustainment pipeline.
• U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for developing new products including military equipment and uniforms.
• General Services Administration (GSA) Public Buildings ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance for custodial and other services at federal buildings, facilitating over 500 custodial jobs.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension PartnershipsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to support nonprofit agencies with manufacturing capabilities and quality improvement.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: A large, established nonprofit network employing people with disabilities and other barriers to workforce participation across retail, contract services, and staffing. While not part of the JWOD Act, Goodwill is a broad incumbent in disability employment with overlapping service-line contracts.

Others

• Disability:IN: A national nonprofit disability advocacy and business inclusion organization that partners with Fortune 500 companies. Not a direct operational peer but thematically aligned on advancing disability employment and procurement outcomes at scale.
• Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE): The national membership organization advancing employment for people with disabilities. Adjacent to AbilityOne's mission and a thought-leadership counterpart in vocational rehabilitation and supported employment policy.

Emerging players

• Melwood: A Mid-Atlantic nonprofit providing employment and services for people with disabilities, including AbilityOne-participating agency services such as facilities, custodial, and document management. Operates as a participating nonprofit within the AbilityOne network and as a state-level disability employer.

Direct peers

• National Industries for the Blind (NIB): The other central nonprofit agency designated by the AbilityOne Commission. NIB supports nonprofit agencies serving people who are blind and manages procurement list additions for products, functioning as a direct counterpart to SourceAmerica within the AbilityOne ecosystem.
• SourceAmerica: One of two central nonprofit agencies designated by the AbilityOne Commission. SourceAmerica facilitates the AbilityOne Program for people with significant disabilities and manages service contracts, making it a direct operational peer within the same program structure.
• American Foundation for the Blind (AFB): Designated as the third central nonprofit agency for the AbilityOne Program in July 2018. AFB operates within the same regulatory framework as NIB and SourceAmerica and provides comparable functions supporting people who are blind, making it a direct program peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us-abilityone-commission

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AbilityOne