diff --git a/usaspending_api/common/experimental_api_flags.py b/usaspending_api/common/experimental_api_flags.py
index 2aabc8b7f0..a9940dc777 100644
--- a/usaspending_api/common/experimental_api_flags.py
+++ b/usaspending_api/common/experimental_api_flags.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 EXPERIMENTAL_API_HEADER = "HTTP_X_EXPERIMENTAL_API"
 ELASTICSEARCH_HEADER_VALUE = "elasticsearch"
+DOWNLOAD_HEADER_VALUE = "download"
 
 
 def is_experimental_elasticsearch_api(request: Request) -> bool:
@@ -29,6 +30,13 @@ def is_experimental_elasticsearch_api(request: Request) -> bool:
     return request.META.get(EXPERIMENTAL_API_HEADER) == ELASTICSEARCH_HEADER_VALUE
 
 
+def is_experimental_download_api(request: Request) -> bool:
+    """
+    Returns True or False depending on if the expected_header_value matches what is sent with the request
+    """
+    return request.META.get(EXPERIMENTAL_API_HEADER) == DOWNLOAD_HEADER_VALUE
+
+
 def mirror_request_to_elasticsearch(request: Union[HttpRequest, Request]):
     """Duplicate request and send-again against this server, with the ES header attached to mirror
     non-elasticsearch load against elasticsearch for load testing
diff --git a/usaspending_api/common/spark/jobs.py b/usaspending_api/common/spark/jobs.py
index 0090a7e2d8..a6f6ffe1df 100644
--- a/usaspending_api/common/spark/jobs.py
+++ b/usaspending_api/common/spark/jobs.py
@@ -4,11 +4,17 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Generator
 
 from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.management import call_command
 
-from usaspending_api.common.helpers.spark_helpers import configure_spark_session, get_active_spark_session
 from usaspending_api.common.spark.configs import LOCAL_EXTENDED_EXTRA_CONF
 
+if settings.IS_LOCAL:
+    # Importing this only for local development. For local strategy it is expected that a Spark session is available,
+    # however, for Databricks and EMR strategies a Spark session is not available on the API itself. In these cases the
+    # job is submitted to Databricks or EMR where the Spark session exists.
+    from usaspending_api.common.helpers.spark_helpers import configure_spark_session, get_active_spark_session
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from pyspark.sql import SparkSession
 
diff --git a/usaspending_api/download/tests/integration/test_download_accounts.py b/usaspending_api/download/tests/integration/test_download_accounts.py
index 71f39ca4f8..1cad52dcb7 100644
--- a/usaspending_api/download/tests/integration/test_download_accounts.py
+++ b/usaspending_api/download/tests/integration/test_download_accounts.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from unittest.mock import Mock
 
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.management import call_command
 from model_bakery import baker
 from rest_framework import status
 
@@ -497,3 +498,35 @@ def test_empty_array_filter_fail(client, download_test_data):
     assert (
         "Field 'filters|def_codes' value '[]' is below min '1' items" in resp.json()["detail"]
     ), "Incorrect error message"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db(databases=[settings.DOWNLOAD_DB_ALIAS, settings.DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS])
+def test_file_c_spark_download(client, download_test_data, spark, s3_unittest_data_bucket, hive_unittest_metastore_db):
+    download_generation.retrieve_db_string = Mock(return_value=get_database_dsn_string())
+
+    call_command(
+        "create_delta_table",
+        f"--spark-s3-bucket={s3_unittest_data_bucket}",
+        f"--destination-table=account_download",
+    )
+
+    resp = client.post(
+        "/api/v2/download/accounts/",
+        content_type="application/json",
+        data=json.dumps(
+            {
+                "account_level": "federal_account",
+                "filters": {
+                    "budget_function": "all",
+                    "agency": "all",
+                    "submission_types": ["award_financial"],
+                    "fy": "2021",
+                    "period": 12,
+                },
+                "file_format": "csv",
+            }
+        ),
+        headers={"X-Experimental-API": "download"},
+    )
+
+    assert resp.status_code == status.HTTP_200_OK
diff --git a/usaspending_api/download/v2/base_download_viewset.py b/usaspending_api/download/v2/base_download_viewset.py
index 534e178fdd..f560084607 100644
--- a/usaspending_api/download/v2/base_download_viewset.py
+++ b/usaspending_api/download/v2/base_download_viewset.py
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
 from usaspending_api.broker.lookups import EXTERNAL_DATA_TYPE_DICT
 from usaspending_api.broker.models import ExternalDataLoadDate
 from usaspending_api.common.api_versioning import API_TRANSFORM_FUNCTIONS, api_transformations
+from usaspending_api.common.experimental_api_flags import is_experimental_download_api
 from usaspending_api.common.helpers.dict_helpers import order_nested_object
+from usaspending_api.common.spark.jobs import DatabricksStrategy, LocalStrategy, SparkJobs
 from usaspending_api.common.sqs.sqs_handler import get_sqs_queue
 from usaspending_api.download.download_utils import create_unique_filename, log_new_download_job
 from usaspending_api.download.filestreaming import download_generation
@@ -68,12 +70,19 @@ def post(
         )
 
         log_new_download_job(request, download_job)
-        self.process_request(download_job)
+        self.process_request(download_job, request, json_request)
 
         return self.get_download_response(file_name=final_output_zip_name)
 
-    def process_request(self, download_job: DownloadJob):
-        if settings.IS_LOCAL and settings.RUN_LOCAL_DOWNLOAD_IN_PROCESS:
+    def process_request(self, download_job: DownloadJob, request: Request, json_request: dict):
+        if (
+            is_experimental_download_api(request)
+            and json_request["request_type"] == "account"
+            and "award_financial" in json_request["download_types"]
+        ):
+            # goes to spark for File C account download
+            self.process_account_download_in_spark(download_job=download_job)
+        elif settings.IS_LOCAL and settings.RUN_LOCAL_DOWNLOAD_IN_PROCESS:
             # Eagerly execute the download in this running process
             download_generation.generate_download(download_job)
         else:
@@ -85,6 +94,25 @@ def process_request(self, download_job: DownloadJob):
             queue = get_sqs_queue(queue_name=settings.BULK_DOWNLOAD_SQS_QUEUE_NAME)
             queue.send_message(MessageBody=str(download_job.download_job_id))
 
+    def process_account_download_in_spark(self, download_job: DownloadJob):
+        """
+        Process File C downloads through spark instead of sqs for better performance
+        """
+        if settings.IS_LOCAL:
+            spark_jobs = SparkJobs(LocalStrategy())
+            spark_jobs.start(
+                job_name="api_download-accounts",
+                command_name="generate_spark_download",
+                command_options=[f"--download-job-id={download_job.download_job_id}", f"--skip-local-cleanup"],
+            )
+        else:
+            spark_jobs = SparkJobs(DatabricksStrategy())
+            spark_jobs.start(
+                job_name="api_download-accounts",
+                command_name="generate_spark_download",
+                command_options=[f"--download-job-id={download_job.download_job_id}"],
+            )
+
     def get_download_response(self, file_name: str):
         """
         Generate download response which encompasses various elements to provide accurate status for state of a