National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a U.S. federal agency that preserves, digitizes, and provides public access to federal government records, serving citizens, veterans, genealogists, researchers, and federal agencies through archives.gov, 14 regional facilities, and 13 Presidential Libraries.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1934
- HeadquartersCollege Park, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What National Archives and Records Administration does
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent U.S. federal agency established in 1934 that preserves, manages, and provides public access to the permanently valuable records of the federal government. It operates a national network of 14 regional archival facilities, 13 Presidential Libraries from Herbert Hoover through Donald Trump, Federal Records Centers that store and service records for executive branch agencies, and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), which mediates Freedom of Information Act disputes. Service lines include certified records reproduction (paper, microfilm, photo, and digital scans) priced under 36 CFR Part 1258, FOIA request processing, declassification programs, veteran and military personnel records requests, and educational platforms such as Docs Teach. Core digital products are archives.gov, the National Archives Catalog, and the Citizen Archivist Program.
NARA's technology stack increasingly centers on AI-powered document processing. The Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) system uses Amazon Textract to digitize paper holdings, with an explicit goal of reaching 500 million digitized pages by October 2026 out of an estimated 13 billion paper documents. NARA has integrated Google Vertex AI to deliver semantic search through an AI Search Tool, supports machine-tagged catalog records, and exposes archival metadata via XML exports and machine-tag conventions (nara:arcid) compatible with data.gov. Partnerships with FamilySearch, Google Arts & Culture, NotebookLM, and the National Park Service extend the digitization and public-engagement pipeline. NARA is ADA and Section 508 compliant across its facilities and web properties.
NARA is funded primarily through congressional appropriations rather than commercial revenue, with additional income from regulated records-reproduction fees and from non-governmental partnerships (e.g., a Bank of America Museums on Us grant supporting extended operating hours). Its customer base spans general citizens, veterans and military families, genealogists, K-12 and higher-education users, academic researchers, federal agencies requiring records management services, and congressional oversight bodies. Distribution is hybrid: digital via archives.gov and the Catalog, physical via regional archives and Presidential Libraries, and government-to-government via the Federal Records Centers network.
National Archives and Records Administration firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Archives and Records Administration
- Legal name
- The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
- Website
- https://archives.gov
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1934
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a U.S. federal agency that preserves, digitizes, and provides public access to federal government records, serving citizens, veterans, genealogists, researchers, and federal agencies through archives.gov, 14 regional facilities, and 13 Presidential Libraries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Archives and Records Administration industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Records Management and Archival Services
- NAICS
- Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Libraries and Archives (51921), Public Administration (92)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Registrar, Records & Institutional Data Stewardship (EDADAKAE)
Keywords
Where National Archives and Records Administration is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- College Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
National Archives and Records Administration business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Records Reproduction and Copying Services: NARA generates revenue through fees for reproducing records, including paper copies, scans, microfilm digitization, photo prints, and document certification. Fees are set per the federal regulations (36 CFR Part 1258).
- Federal Appropriations: Primary funding comes from congressional appropriations as a federal agency, supporting core operations for records management, preservation, and public access services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Self-service copying |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | NARA Reproduction Services |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fixed-Fee Orders |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Military Personnel Files |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Additional Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
National Archives and Records Administration product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NARA preserves, manages, and provides public access to U.S. federal government records spanning every presidency since 1789, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The agency operates a network of regional archives, Presidential Libraries, and Federal Records Centers, and delivers services such as military service records requests, genealogical research access, FOIA processing, AI-powered document search, and educational resources.
Product overview
NARA operates as a federal agency providing public access to government records through multiple digital platforms and physical locations. The core product is the National Archives Catalog (catalog.archives.gov) serving as the central finding aid for archival holdings. Supporting platforms include archives.gov for public access, FOIA request processing services, and specialized tools like the AI Search Tool for semantic search. NARA also provides educational resources through Docs Teach, public engagement via the Citizen Archivist Program, and maintains social media presence on major platforms. The organization manages a network of presidential libraries and physical research facilities across the country.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- National Archives Catalog
Quantifiable outcome
- 500 million pages digitized using AI-powered intelligent document processing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use National Archives and Records Administration
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
National Archives and Records Administration technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
National Archives and Records Administration partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Bank of AmericaminorBank of America expanded its Museums on Us program to 250 cultural institutions including the National Archives. As part of America 250 celebrations, Bank of America is providing grants to cultural organizations including extended operating hours funding for the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
- Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryminorBank of America provided a $5 million founding gift to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, part of NARA's Presidential Libraries system, supporting its establishment and programming.
- Intrepid MuseumminorPartnership through Bank of America's expanded Museums on Us program, providing $1 million total support for cultural institutions including the Intrepid Museum as part of the America 250 initiative.
- Google Arts & CulturecoreGoogle Arts & Culture partnered with the White House Task Force 250 and NARA to launch the 'Making of the Nation' initiative showcasing American founding documents and artifacts. The digital exhibit uses AI, interactive storytelling, and 3D galleries to bring historical documents including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights to life for public access.
- National Park ServiceminorPartnership with National Park Service for the America 250 'Making of the Nation' initiative, bringing together federal cultural heritage institutions to celebrate the nation's founding anniversary.
- FamilySearchcoreNARA partnered with FamilySearch to process over 2 million Revolutionary War-era pension files, making them publicly searchable and accessible through the NARA Catalog. FamilySearch contributes genealogical expertise and processing resources to accelerate digitization of historical military records.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon TextractcoreNARA uses Amazon Textract AI-powered document processing to digitize 13 billion paper documents, targeting 500 million pages by October 2026. Textract enables automated extraction of text and data from historical documents at scale.
- Google Vertex AIcoreNARA's AI Search Tool uses Google Vertex for semantic search capabilities, powering the search engine for archival records research. Provides researchers with AI-generated search results to quickly identify relevant archival materials.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
National Archives and Records Administration competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FamilySearch: Genealogical organization actively partnered with NARA on processing 2M+ Revolutionary War-era pension files. Operates complementary genealogical research platform and shares NARA's mission of making historical records publicly accessible.
- Library of Congress: The U.S. Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and shares NARA's federal cultural heritage mandate, including national-level collections, digitization programs, and public access services. Both operate as statutory federal institutions serving researchers, Congress, and the public.
- The National Archives (UK): The UK National Archives serves the same core function for British government records as NARA does for the U.S. federal government — preserving, managing, and providing public access to official state records. Operates a comparable catalog system and serves analogous researcher/citizen segments.
- Library and Archives Canada: Canadian federal institution combining library and archival functions similar to NARA's integrated mandate. Manages government records, provides public access, and operates digitization programs serving researchers and citizens.
- National Archives of Australia: Australia's national archive performs functionally identical roles to NARA — federal records management, digitization initiatives, and public access to government documents. Similar governance structure as an executive branch agency with statutory mandate.
Emerging players
- Ancestry: Commercial genealogy platform that leverages archival records (including NARA collections) to deliver family history services. While commercial and narrower in scope, addresses overlapping customer segments (genealogists, family historians).
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian Institution: Federal cultural institution with massive collections, museum network, and digitization initiatives that overlap with NARA's preservation and public access mandate. Broader in scope (science, art, history) but shares federal cultural stewardship model.
- Iron Mountain: Private-sector records storage and information management company serving enterprise and government clients. Provides physical and digital records storage that complements NARA's Federal Records Centers but operates commercially with broader business focus.
Regional players
- Archives nationales (France): France's national archive performs the equivalent function for French government records, with similar collections, public access model, and digitization programs. Geographic separation makes it a regional peer rather than direct competitor.
Others
- Google Arts & Culture: Technology partner working with NARA on the 'Making of the Nation' initiative, providing AI, 3D galleries, and interactive exhibits. Functions as an enabling technology platform rather than direct competitor, but shapes how NARA's collections reach global audiences.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National Archives and Records Administration social profiles
Digital presenceNational Archives and Records Administration compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
National Archives and Records Administration financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Archives and Records Administration leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
National Archives and Records Administration subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries16 records
National Archives and Records Administration funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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National Archives and Records Administration M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Archives and Records Administration
What does National Archives and Records Administration do?
NARA preserves, manages, and provides public access to U.S. federal government records spanning every presidency since 1789, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The agency operates a network of regional archives, Presidential Libraries, and Federal Records Centers, and delivers services such as military service records requests, genealogical research access, FOIA processing, AI-powered document search, and educational resources.
Is National Archives and Records Administration a public or private company?
National Archives and Records Administration is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was National Archives and Records Administration founded?
National Archives and Records Administration was founded in 1934. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is National Archives and Records Administration based?
National Archives and Records Administration is headquartered in College Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Archives and Records Administration make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Records Reproduction and Copying Services are the primary driver. The others are federal Appropriations.
Who are National Archives and Records Administration's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FamilySearch, Library of Congress, The National Archives (UK), Library and Archives Canada and National Archives of Australia. Ancestry is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Smithsonian Institution and Iron Mountain. Archives nationales (France) is listed as a regional player. Google Arts & Culture is listed as an others.
Does National Archives and Records Administration have an API?
Yes. NARA provides programmatic access to archival data through multiple mechanisms. The National Archives Catalog at catalog.archives.gov serves as the primary interface for accessing records programmatically. XML-formatted data exports of archival descriptions from the National Archives Catalog are available, with compressed archive sets (Parts 1-22) containing XML files published as of February 2016. Machine tags follow the formula nara:arcid=[ARC ID number], enabling API-based data access for combining NARA image data with ARC datasets on data.gov. An electronic FOIA Reading Room provides document access. The Data.gov dataset enables combining archival descriptions with other government datasets. Developer documentation is at www.archives.gov/open/dataset-arc.html.
What industry is National Archives and Records Administration in?
National Archives and Records Administration's product category is Government Records Management and Archival Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAAAG, National Archives, Records & Information Governance, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAF, Libraries, Archives & Special Collections. Its NAICS code is 921.