USPTO: ~$28.4M for patent-search AI models — a new Accenture Federal contract under the "USPTO Efficiency Act" (USAspending)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO / Department of Commerce) awarded a ~$28.4 million ($28,378,496) contract to Accenture Federal Services LLC for patent-search AI models and labor. The original scope states it is awarded "pursuant to the USPTO Efficiency Act," showing continued investment in patent-search AI.
Contract key facts
- RecipientACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC
- Contract value$28,378,496 (≈$28.4M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Commerce
- Awarding sub-agencyU.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2024-07-01 〜 2027-03-31
- Contract ID (PIID)1333BJ24C00280005
Contract scope (original)
PATENT SEARCH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODELS AND LABOR. THIS ACTION IS AWARDED PURSUANT TO THE USPTO EFFICIENCY ACT.
Key points
- USPTO (Department of Commerce) contracted for patent-search AI models and labor
- Recipient Accenture Federal Services LLC, ~$28.4M ($28,378,496), July 2024–March 2027
- Scope explicitly states "pursuant to the USPTO Efficiency Act" = backed by statute
- Follows the agency's earlier patent-search AI contract (~$44.1M) = continued investment
The notable point is that this action is awarded "pursuant to the USPTO Efficiency Act." The USPTO has long worked on applying AI to patent search (the core task of finding prior art relevant to a filed invention among vast literature); this site also features another of the agency's patent-search AI contracts (~$44.1M, 2019–2023). This contract represents the continuation/expansion of that work, apparently backed by statute. The specific provisions and content of the act are beyond this data's scope, so we do not assert them; refer to primary sources.
Why it matters
An example of AI use in the non-defense practical domain of patent examination continuing, apparently backed by statute. For those in legal tech, patents, and document-search AI, a read on the U.S. government's ongoing demand.
FAQ
What is the USPTO Efficiency Act?
Is this the same as the earlier patent-search AI contract?
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：1333BJ24C00280005