Expert Insights

Government Contracting BlogNews, Tips & Best Practices

Expert insights, tips, and news to help you win more government contracts. Learn about federal procurement, SAM.gov registration, bid writing, and compliance.

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Which state and local government events should small government contractors attend in 2026 to win business?

Jun 4, 2026

8 min read

Which state and local government events should small government contractors attend in 2026 to win business?

Curated 2026 state/local events and attendance strategy for small contractors targeting AI, cybersecurity, and digital delivery—timelines, budgets, and top conferences like GovRAMP Cyber Summit and state procurement workshops.

state and local events 2026govcon conferencesGovRAMP Cyber Summit

How would codifying the 'rule of two' in House proposals change small business set-aside opportunities and what should small firms do now? 2026

Jun 4, 2026

8 min read

How would codifying the 'rule of two' in House proposals change small business set-aside opportunities and what should small firms do now? 2026

Codifying the 'rule of two' (H.R.2804) would increase mandatory small-business set-asides, require stronger market-research documentation, and shift billions in contract opportunities to qualified small firms; small businesses should update SAM, pursue certifications, and capture forecasts by Jan 1, 2027.

rule of twosmall business set-asideSBA certification

What will the OMB proposed rule mean for small grant applicants and recipients? 2026

Jun 3, 2026

12 min read

What will the OMB proposed rule mean for small grant applicants and recipients? 2026

Quick summary: OMB's May 29, 2026 proposed Uniform Guidance tightens cost allocation, audit, and internal controls for awards; comments due July 28, 2026. Small grantees must update policies, budget $10K-$150K for compliance, or risk disallowed costs and funding suspension.

OMB proposed rulefederal grantsgrant compliance

What foundational cybersecurity practices should defense contractors prioritize after the DoD CIO’s call to move beyond compliance? 2026

Jun 3, 2026

20 min read

What foundational cybersecurity practices should defense contractors prioritize after the DoD CIO’s call to move beyond compliance? 2026

Actionable checklist for defense contractors to shift from compliance to operational cybersecurity, aligned with DoD CIO guidance, NIST, DFARS and CISA recommendations.

DoD cybersecurityfoundational cybersecurityNIST SP 800-171

How will OPM’s expanded verification of federal health insurance enrollees affect vendors that administer benefits? 2026

Jun 2, 2026

12 min read

How will OPM’s expanded verification of federal health insurance enrollees affect vendors that administer benefits? 2026

OPM expanded dependent verification requires carriers to implement identity-proofing, document workflows and Carrier Connect integration by mid-2026; vendors face audits, enrollment terminations, and possible contract sanctions if they do not comply.

OPM verificationbenefits administrationidentity-proofing

How will OMB's proposed 2 CFR 200 rewrite change grant requirements for small businesses and nonprofits in 2026?

Jun 2, 2026

12 min read

How will OMB's proposed 2 CFR 200 rewrite change grant requirements for small businesses and nonprofits in 2026?

GSA requires recipients to meet OMB's 2 CFR 200 rewrite by Dec 1, 2026; expect $10K–$150K in compliance costs, stricter indirect cost and subrecipient rules, and risk of deobligation or suspension for non‑compliance.

2 CFR 200 rewriteOMB grants rulegrant compliance small business

What are the eligibility steps and documentation requirements for SDVOSB certification? 2026

Jun 1, 2026

12 min read

What are the eligibility steps and documentation requirements for SDVOSB certification? 2026

GSA requires SDVOSB applicants to complete VA VIP verification, submit DD214 and VA disability documentation, register in SAM.gov, and meet 13 CFR §128.200 rules. Start verification 90 days before bids to avoid disqualification.

SDVOSBveteran-ownedVA VetBiz

What cybersecurity and supply chain requirements will AUKUS-related platforms impose on suppliers? 2026

Jun 1, 2026

12 min read

What cybersecurity and supply chain requirements will AUKUS-related platforms impose on suppliers? 2026

AUKUS platforms will require NIST 800-171/CMMC compliance, SPRS listing, DFARS clause adherence, and strengthened SCRM; non-compliance risks suspension, debarment and lost awards.

CMMCDFARSsupply chain risk

How will GSA's 2026 AI-specific acquisition reform rule affect small business contractors?

May 31, 2026

12 min read

How will GSA's 2026 AI-specific acquisition reform rule affect small business contractors?

GSA's forthcoming AI acquisition rule imposes new AI risk plans, FedRAMP/assurance expectations, and contract clauses — meet compliance by Dec 31, 2026 or risk award ineligibility; budget $25K–$250K for readiness.

GSA AI ruleAI acquisitionsfixed price contracts

How are rapid‑prototype programs (Drone Dominance, DIU prize challenges, Army hackathons) changing procurement pathways for small businesses? 2026

May 31, 2026

14 min read

How are rapid‑prototype programs (Drone Dominance, DIU prize challenges, Army hackathons) changing procurement pathways for small businesses? 2026

Rapid-prototype programs (DIU challenges, Drone Dominance, Army hackathons) create alternate acquisition paths—OTAs, prize competitions, hackathon follow-ons—letting small businesses win prototypes and convert to production with FAR/OTA-savvy IP strategies and SAM/GSA registration ahead of follow-on funding.

rapid prototypingOTAsDIU challenges

How should vendors respond to the Army's 'right to integrate' request to 'jailbreak' their own systems? 2026

May 30, 2026

8 min read

How should vendors respond to the Army's 'right to integrate' request to 'jailbreak' their own systems? 2026

GSA requires vendors to support the Army's 'Right to Integrate' jailbreak sprint by June 30, 2026; follow FAR clauses, secure testing, legal review, APIs, and coordinate with contracting officers to avoid debarment or loss of technical data rights.

right to integrateArmy jailbreak systemsdefense interoperability

What do small contractors need to know to enter the Navy Mine Countermeasure Modernization Prize Challenge? 2026

May 30, 2026

12 min read

What do small contractors need to know to enter the Navy Mine Countermeasure Modernization Prize Challenge? 2026

The deadline is June 30, 2026: DIU/Navy's $100M MCM Prize Challenge requires tested autonomy, SAM registration, and readiness for follow-on awards; missing steps risks disqualification and loss of follow-on contracting opportunities.

mine countermeasuresnavy prize challengeautonomy

What procurement opportunities will the FY27 $1.15T defense policy bill create for small businesses? 2026

May 29, 2026

12 min read

What procurement opportunities will the FY27 $1.15T defense policy bill create for small businesses? 2026

The FY27 $1.15T defense policy bill expands set-asides, industrial base programs, and procurement near-shoring priorities; small businesses should register in SAM, pursue SBA certifications, and align with DoD priorities by key deadlines to compete for newly funded contracts.

FY27 NDAAdefense procurementsmall business defense contracts

What must federal contractors do to meet the upcoming digital accessibility (Section 508/WCAG) compliance deadlines? 2026

May 29, 2026

12 min read

What must federal contractors do to meet the upcoming digital accessibility (Section 508/WCAG) compliance deadlines? 2026

GSA requires contractors to deliver Section 508/WCAG 2.1 AA-conformant ICT by Dec 31, 2026; contractors must audit, document (VPAT/ACR), remediate, and produce agency evidence or face withheld payments and debarment risk.

digital accessibilitySection 508WCAG 2.1

What does NSF's $250M restart of SBIR/STTR mean for deep‑tech startups in 2026?

May 28, 2026

12 min read

What does NSF's $250M restart of SBIR/STTR mean for deep‑tech startups in 2026?

NSF is restarting SBIR/STTR with $250M (including a $40M instrumentation pilot). Key impacts: eligibility rules, proposal focus, university partnerships, and stronger commercialization requirements for deep‑tech startups.

NSF SBIRSTTRdeep-tech grants

What does NASA opening the Jet Propulsion Laboratory management contract to competition mean for potential primes and subs? 2026

May 28, 2026

12 min read

What does NASA opening the Jet Propulsion Laboratory management contract to competition mean for potential primes and subs? 2026

NASA's May 22, 2026 decision to compete JPL management creates a $2.6B/year capture opportunity; primes must build technical, facilities, and institutional continuity teams and subs must prove mission operations performance, security posture, and past performance within 12 months to be viable bidders.

JPL contract competitionNASA procurementprime contractor capture

How will FedRAMP CR26 public preview change cloud authorization requirements for small CSPs? 2026

May 27, 2026

12 min read

How will FedRAMP CR26 public preview change cloud authorization requirements for small CSPs? 2026

GSA's FedRAMP CR26 public preview (June 2026) tightens SSP, continuous monitoring, and 3PAO expectations for small CSPs; noncompliance risks deauthorization and lost federal revenue. Prepare SSP updates, 3PAO coordination, and budget $30K–$150K by Q4 2026.

FedRAMP CR26cloud authorization3PAO

How should contractors implement OMB’s updated federal cyber logging guidance? 2026

May 27, 2026

12 min read

How should contractors implement OMB’s updated federal cyber logging guidance? 2026

GSA requires contractors to update logging, SLAs, and proposals per OMB May 2026 guidance; compliance by Sept 30, 2026 or risk contract ineligibility and suspension.

OMB logging guidancefederal cyber loggingCISA reference architecture

How should cloud service providers update their SSPs and ATO plans to align with FedRAMP CR26 changes? 2026

May 26, 2026

12 min read

How should cloud service providers update their SSPs and ATO plans to align with FedRAMP CR26 changes? 2026

GSA requires CSPs to update SSPs, POA&Ms, and continuous monitoring to meet FedRAMP CR26 public-preview by June 30, 2026; follow this step-by-step checklist for SSP, ATO, and CM pipeline alignment.

SSP updateATO planningFedRAMP CR26

How does the OMB memo change federal contractor cyber event logging requirements? 2026

May 26, 2026

12 min read

How does the OMB memo change federal contractor cyber event logging requirements? 2026

GSA-aligned OMB M-26-14 (May 2026) raises logging, retention, and forward-alert obligations for contractors; deadlines, costs, and contract impacts summarized with step-by-step compliance actions.

OMB logging memoM-26-14cyber event logging