If you’ve been watching the news or even just checking your inbox, you’ve likely seen headlines about a federal government shutdown. And if you’re a government contractor, those headlines can raise some tough questions. Will funding freeze? Will awards get delayed? Should you hit pause on your outreach? Here’s the good news: while a federal […]
The FAR rewrite has been one of the most sweeping changes in federal procurement in decades. Among all the parts being overhauled, Part 19—Small Business Programs—is arguably the one with the highest stakes for small businesses. Why? Because Part 19 is the rulebook that defines when the government must reserve contracts for small firms, how […]
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is undergoing a historic rewrite. For decades, contractors have worked under a patchwork of rules layered with guidance, supplements, and agency interpretations. The current overhaul is intended to simplify, streamline, and modernize acquisition policy so it is easier for both agencies and industry to navigate. To help agencies adopt the […]
On September 25, 2025, President Trump and Elon Musk officially reunited in a move already being described as a watershed moment for government technology. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a major OneGov agreement with Musk’s company, xAI, making its advanced Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fast models available to federal agencies at the […]
If you’ve been in the government contracting world for more than a minute, you know how important visibility is. Contracting officers, prime contractors, and agency buyers use government-maintained directories every single day to search for vendors that meet their needs. For more than 15 years, the go-to system for finding small businesses was the Dynamic […]
If you’re in the defense contracting ecosystem — whether a prime, a small business, or an innovative startup — one of the biggest contract opportunities in recent U.S. history is now beginning to take shape. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is preparing the SHIELD (Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense) contract vehicle to support the […]
Federal contracting is a competitive game. Many small and medium sized businesses assume that to win more contracts, they just need to bid lower. But here’s a truth many learn too late: federal and agency buyers don’t reward the cheapest—they reward the most strategic. Your certifications—particularly your socio-economic certifications—can be among your strongest strategic tools. […]
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is being re-written to streamline outdated rules, eliminate inconsistencies, and make contracting guidance more accessible for both agencies and industry. This sweeping modernization—sometimes called the FAR 2.0 initiative—is designed to align procurement with today’s realities: commercial innovation, digital tools, and faster acquisition cycles. One of the most important updates in […]
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) has long been the backbone of federal buying, setting the rules for how government agencies acquire goods and services. Now, the FAR has a new partner: the FAR Companion. Released in September 2025, the FAR Companion is not a new set of regulations—it doesn’t impose mandates, create legal obligations, or […]
Teaming with a prime can open doors, especially on bigger IDIQs, GWACs, and agency-specific programs where you need reach, facilities, or clearances you don’t yet have. But there’s a catch many small businesses learn the hard way: a broad exclusivity clause can quietly take your most valuable assets—capabilities, key people, and past performance—off the market […]