Government Contracting Outlook 2026

2025 GovCon Year in Review: What Changed, What Worked, and How to Win in 2026

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If 2025 felt like a year of “hurry up and wait,” you were not imagining it. Federal contracting stayed enormous, but the market’s day-to-day rhythm was shaped less by hype and more by policy resets, compliance acceleration, and a very…
8(a) Scrutiny Is Rising: What It Means for Government Contractors (and How to Stay Ahead)

8(a) Scrutiny: What It Means for Government Contractors (and How to Stay Ahead)

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If you’re in the 8(a) program (or you rely on 8(a) partners), you’ve likely felt the temperature change. Over the past few weeks, oversight has moved from “background noise” to front-page reality: Senate leadership has publicly pressed…
How to Win Government Contracts: A 7-Step Business Development Lifecycle

How to Win Government Contracts: A 7-Step Business Development Lifecycle

Government contracting can feel like a roller coaster if your process is mostly reactive. One week you are busy chasing an RFP. The next week you are waiting, unsure what is coming down the pipeline. That kind of stop-and-go effort is exhausting,…
State Department’s $2.7B O&M Awards: What Facility Support Service Companies Should Do Now

State Department’s $2.7B O&M Awards: What Facility Support Service Companies Should Do Now

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The State Department just named eight vendors to compete for up to $2.7 billion in Facilities Operations & Maintenance (O&M) task orders. If you run a facilities support services company—HVAC, electrical, custodial, grounds, life…
Navigate the new Strategic Acquisition Guidance era

10 Ways the New “Strategic Acquisition Guidance” Will Change How Agencies Find You

Why this new buzzword matters: “Strategic Acquisition Guidance” If you have been hearing more about the FAR Overhaul and seeing phrases like “FAR Companion Guide,” “Category Guide,” or “Practitioner’s Albums,” that is not…
Speed-to-Field: How Small Firms Win Air Force Contracts

Air Force Oversight Is Centralizing. Here’s How Small Businesses Can Win in the New “Speed-to-Field” Era

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If you’ve felt like the goalposts in federal acquisition keep moving, you’re not wrong. The Air Force just signaled a major shift: many of its biggest programs—think flagship aircraft and strategic systems—are moving under a single…
Perplexity & GSA AI: How Small Government Contractors Win More

Perplexity Just Became a Government Tool. Here’s What That Means For Your Small Business

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How to stay visible, competitive, and ready to win as contracting officers start using AI every day. GSA just signed a government-wide deal with Perplexity, an AI research and drafting tool. Through a OneGov agreement, federal agencies can…
DOGE 2026 Federal Contracts: Top 20 NAICS Codes & Agencies

DOGE 9 Months In: Which Agencies and NAICS Codes Are Actually Getting Funded in FY2026 (And How to Pivot Fast)

It's been nine months since President Trump's executive order launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on January 20, 2025. What started as a bold promise to slash waste, modernize technology, and cut trillions in spending has…
What government contractors should do now that the government has re-opened

Government Reopens: 10 Smart Moves Contractors Should Make Right Now

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After weeks of uncertainty, the lights are back on across federal agencies and programs. That alone is good news for government contractors. Even better, history shows that when agencies reopen after a funding lapse, leaders move quickly to…
10 government contracts will be easiest to win in FY 2026

10 Government Contract Plays Worth Your Focus in FY 2026

The fiscal year 2026 (which began October 1, 2025) is already underway, and early signals suggest there are several contract vehicles and procurement areas where smaller and mid-sized firms have a better shot. At FedBiz Access, we’ve…