If you are a vendor and looking to do business with the government, how do you get started? One way is to pay close attention to budding opportunities. When a Request for Information (RFI) is released, it’s an indication that the government is conducting market research. RFIs are a great opportunity for you to get your foot in the door before a potential Request for Proposal (RFP) is shaped, and to make sure government agencies are familiar with your name and capabilities. In this blog, we’ll cover why the government issues RFIs, what RFIs can look like, and how they are useful for contractors.

The push to favor the purchase of domestic items over foreign materials and products dates back to the early 1930s when the Buy American Act (BAA) was established. Since then, presidential administrations from both parties have worked to strengthen and revise the act. The BAA is an important piece of legislation for GSA contractors because it directly applies to the purchasing habits of federal agencies. The BAA is becoming increasingly more timely because the Biden Administration is working to implement a Final Rule on October 25, 2022, that would increase the percentage of materials that must be purchased domestically. So, what exactly is the BAA and how is it changing? We’ll cover what you need know about the BAA:

As you may be aware, government agencies cannot make decisions on a whim. There are several rules, regulations, precedents, and processes that are put in place, so each decision is made carefully and methodically. This is especially true for federal procurement. Whenever a government agency has the need for a particular product or service, they often conduct market research to make sure they are surveying all the possibilities and finding the one that works the best for them. This doesn’t always mean the cheapest or the fastest, but these can be factors in determining what the best value is.

Since the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) was first announced in 2020, it has undergone several changes. As the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies look to deploy CMMC within government contracting, they will continue to adapt the verification method so it’s more effective.

You might have heard the term “DFARS” come up a lot recently, especially with the federal government's initiatives to heighten cybersecurity and defense measures. But what is DFARS and how does it relate to GSA contractors? You’ll find it’s a very important set of regulations for you to follow and understand. DFARS stands for Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement. It’s managed by the Department of Defense (DoD) to supplement the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The defense supplement was launched to as a government effort to guard national security concerns from cybersecurity attacks.

Cybersecurity concerns can reach high levels of national security especially if they pertain to the federal government. Past data breaches like the recent SolarWinds hack have proven it’s important for the federal government to set cybersecurity standards for government contractors. One critical aspect of government networks is cloud services. In Fiscal Year 2020, federal agencies spent over $6 billion on cloud computing, making it an important part of federal procurement. All Cloud Service Providers selling to the federal government must meet proven security standards established through FedRAMP.