A lot of small businesses treat SAM.gov like a compliance box: register, keep it active, renew annually, move on. And yes, an active registration is non-negotiable if a company wants to receive federal awards. SAM is the official system where entities register to do business with the federal government. But here’s the problem: compliance and […]
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (2026 NDAA) isn’t just another annual budget bill. For government contractors, especially small and mid-sized firms, it represents a significant shift in acquisition policy that reduces longstanding compliance hurdles and opens up the defense marketplace in meaningful ways. Among the most consequential changes are increases to […]
If your pipeline felt sluggish during the continuing resolution (CR) period, you weren’t imagining it. A CR doesn’t just slow down “new” work. It changes how agencies are legally allowed to execute work. Now FY26 is entering a different phase. OMB has begun issuing apportionments, and that matters because apportionments are one of the clearest […]
If you’re in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program (or planning to apply), you’ve probably seen the headlines: the SBA suspended over 1000 8(a) firms (1,091 total) from the program in late January. That number is big enough to get anyone’s attention, especially when the 8(a) Program is often a cornerstone of a small business’s […]
If you’re a small business owner looking to break into the $680+ billion federal contracting marketplace, understanding NAICS codes isn’t just helpful—it’s absolutely essential. The North American Industry Classification System serves as the backbone of government procurement, determining everything from which contract opportunities you’re eligible to pursue to whether your business qualifies as “small” under […]
If you’ve been around government contracting for more than five minutes, you’ve received the same advice on repeat: “Get on a vehicle.” “Vehicles are where the money is.” “If you’re not on MAS (or OASIS+), you’re invisible.” There’s a truth hiding in there… and a trap. Yes, contract vehicles can absolutely accelerate growth. They can […]
If you work in (or want to break into) government contracting, the SBA’s 2025 Annual Report is not just a recap of agency activity. It is a signal of where small business policy is headed, what the SBA is prioritizing, and how the federal marketplace may behave as we move into 2026. The report highlights […]
If you have ever felt stuck in the classic government contracting catch-22, you are not alone: “We need DoD past performance to win DoD work… but we need to win DoD work to get DoD past performance.” For years, that dynamic has been one of the biggest barriers to entry for small businesses and nontraditional […]
The fastest wins aren’t luck…they’re signal. A few years ago, I watched a small contractor do what most people would call “getting lucky.” They found an opportunity that fit.They moved fast.They won. But when you looked closer, it wasn’t luck at all. It was signal. Most government contractors aren’t short on effort. They’re short on […]
If you’ve been in federal contracting for more than five minutes, you’ve probably heard some version of: “We should team on this.” Sometimes that means a simple prime-sub relationship. Sometimes it means a formal contractor team. And sometimes it means “we’re both panicking because the solicitation is due next Tuesday.” This guide breaks down teaming […]