Government Contracting Blog

For small businesses looking to break into government contracting, teaming up with an experienced business through a Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) can be a great strategy. In addition to the widely used MPP run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), contractors can participate in Mentor-Protégé Programs at specific federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Cybersecurity is a constant priority in the IT government contracting space, with the government continually working to enhance cybersecurity practices as technology evolves. IT government contractors should be aware of both current and future cybersecurity regulations, so they can stay compliant now and in the future.

While the federal government goes to great lengths to protect sensitive information from cyberattacks and unwanted leaks, you may be surprised to know that most government information is public – if you’re willing to ask for it. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you can request records or information from participating government agencies that may be useful to you. For example, as a government contractor, you can request lists of valuable industry contacts from an event or webinar you attended, or lists of bidders on government contracts. In this blog, we’ll talk about what a FOIA request is, how you can use it to your advantage as a government contractor, and the process for submitting one.

Once your GSA Schedule has been awarded, it can be tempting to rest on your laurels – you’ve put in a lot of work to get here. However, GSA requires new Schedule contractors to complete a few administrative tasks following contract award. You’ll also have some ongoing contract maintenance responsibilities throughout the life of your contract.

Market research plays a key role in the procurement process for government agencies. To improve the market research involved in government procurement, GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently launched the aptly named Procurement Co-Pilot. This new acquisition tool aims to make market research easier and more effective for acquisition professionals procuring solutions for the government.

One way that contractors can report their GSA sales is through the Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) pilot program. First rolled out in 2016, the TDR program is still evolving, and GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is preparing to make some updates to the program this fiscal year.