Federal Year-End Spending Starts in July

The Federal Spending Rush Starts Now, Not in September

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July is one of those months in government contracting that looks quiet from the outside. People are taking vacations. Inbox replies get slower. Agency contacts may be harder to pin down. It can feel like the federal market is catching its…
Winning Proposal Tips for government contacts

Stop Saying “Innovative”: How to Build Federal Proposal Outlines That Win Evaluator Confidence

Federal proposal evaluators are not reading your submission the way your team wrote it. Your capture team may have spent weeks discussing solution architecture, pricing strategy, compliance matrices, teaming partners, past performance, and…
SBA EDWOSB Audit

SBA Is Auditing EDWOSB Certification Status. Here’s What Women-Owned Contractors Should Do Now

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For years, many women-owned small businesses treated certification maintenance like a calendar reminder: update the file, watch the renewal date, keep moving. That approach is getting riskier. The Small Business Administration has reportedly…
H.R. 8879 Just Passed the House. Here’s Why Small Business Contractors Should Pay Attention Now

H.R. 8879 Just Passed the House. Here’s Why Small Business Contractors Should Pay Attention Now

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Every contractor who has waited on an SBA certification knows the peculiar frustration of being “almost ready” for an opportunity. The capture plan is there. The agency fit is there. The teaming partner is interested. The solicitation looks…
AI, Cybersecurity, and Federal Buying: Where Small Contractors Can Still Break In

AI, Cybersecurity, and Federal Buying: Where Small Contractors Can Still Break In

AI is no longer sitting politely in the “innovation” corner of federal contracting, waiting for agencies to figure out whether it matters. It matters now. It is showing up in acquisition planning, modernization projects, cybersecurity…
CMMC Level 1 Compliance Guide

Why CMMC Level 1 Matters for Small Business DoD Contractors

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern for government contractors. For companies that want to do business with the Department of Defense, it is becoming a contract readiness issue. That is where CMMC comes in. CMMC, short for Cybersecurity…
SBA 8(a) changes

SBA’s Proposed 8(a) Rule Change: Why Documentation Just Became More Important Than Ever

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If you’re thinking about 8(a) certification, documentation just became more important than ever. That is the practical takeaway from SBA’s proposed 8(a) rule change published on June 11, 2026. The proposed rule would remove the rebuttable…
Made in America Is Now a GSA Advantage Compliance Issue

Made in America Is Now a GSA Advantage Compliance Issue

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Made in America is no longer just a marketing claim. It is a compliance issue. For years, product suppliers and manufacturers have treated domestic sourcing language as a competitive advantage, especially when selling to federal buyers who…
Simplified Acquisition Threshold $350K Small Business

The $350K Sweet Spot: Why Small Contractors Should Rethink Simplified Acquisitions in 2026

There is a quiet shift happening in federal contracting that small businesses should not ignore. The Simplified Acquisition Threshold has moved from $250,000 to $350,000, and while that may sound like a dry regulatory update, it changes…
How to find SLED government contracts

The Hidden Pipeline: How Smart Contractors Find Opportunities Before They Go Live

Most government contractors are looking in the same place. They search public portals. They check SAM.gov. They scan state procurement sites. They wait for opportunities to be posted, then rush to decide whether to bid. That is the "normal"…