Government contractor

A government contractor is a company (privately owned or publicly traded but not a state-owned enterprise) — either for profit or non-profit — that produces goods or services under contract for the government. Some communities are largely sustained by government contracting activity; for instance, much of the economy of northern Virginia consists of government contractors employed directly or indirectly by the federal government of the United States.

Section 12(2) and (3) of the Official Secrets Act 1989 define the expression "Government Contractor" for the purposes of that Act.