Press Release: Arkansas Forward savings reach $158 million, more than halfway to $300 million goal 

Better service. Better systems. Better experience – for everyone.

Arkansas Forward savings reach $158 million, more than halfway to $300 million goal 
Departments identified $23.4 million in reduced costs

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Forward, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ initiative to reduce government spending by $300 million by the end of 2030 through financial efficiencies and savings, has identified an additional $23.4 million in reduced contract spending. Those increases bring Arkansas Forward’s verified total savings to $158 million.

In the category of Procurement and Vendor Management, the State of Arkansas is reassessing how it negotiates and renews contracts. Utilizing data to negotiate reduced costs for services and renewals, the state is strengthening fiscal stewardship while ensuring service levels continue to meet operational needs.

In one example, the Department of Health sought solutions for an online licensing and permitting portal. Before contracting with exterior vendors, they leveraged existing in-house subject matter experts to build a system internally. Launched in May 2026, the portal allows licensees and permittees to apply and renew online making services more accessible to all Arkansans, while saving the state over $9.1 million in startup and support costs.

In another example, departments worked together to negotiate lower costs for the Arkansas Integrated Eligibility System contract by $14.3 million while maintaining existing services.

Since its launch, Arkansas Forward has identified more than 300 opportunities to reduce costs and improve government services across the executive branch’s 15 cabinet-level departments. Those efforts span five key areas of state government: fleet management, information technology, personnel, procurement, and real estate.  

The Arkansas Forward Dashboard gives taxpayers the ability to follow that progress in real time through a downloadable public dataset, making it easier than ever to see where state employees are delivering more value, improving efficiency, and identifying opportunities to save taxpayer dollars while maintaining high levels of service.  

The Arkansas Forward Dashboard is available here. The Arkansas Forward Progress Report is available here.

Media Contact: Chris Price – [email protected]

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