Government Contracting Blog

We’ve talked a lot in recent blogs about the Trump administration’s impact on the federal market, but you may be wondering what its impact will be on state, local, and education (SLED) markets. While the recent Executive Orders (EOs) have created some uncertainty around federal funding to state and local governments, we’ll still see spending opportunities in SLED markets, specifically in areas aligning with the new administration’s priorities.

In the past year, we’ve seen several changes to government contracting regulations that affect small businesses specifically, including updates from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Many of these changes benefit small business government contractors by increasing their government contracting opportunities and streamlining the acquisition processes.

Whether you’ve been a GSA Schedule contractor for a few months or a few years, you’ve probably noticed that GSA regularly makes changes to the Multiple Award Schedule program, from Solicitation refreshes to system updates. One major change from the last few years is the launch of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Catalog Platform, more commonly known as FCP. GSA has rolled out FCP gradually since 2023, releasing periodic updates on the timeline for onboarding contractors and sharing information on the platform’s functions. Let’s go over GSA’s recent FCP updates, so you can be well prepared to transition your contract to the new platform.

Capturing government business can be difficult, even after you’ve acquired a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract. As a MAS contractor, you may not be qualified for certain opportunities based on the scope of your offerings. One solution to this challenge is to work with other contractors. Among other partnering options, Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTAs) can help MAS contractors increase their odds of success in the federal marketplace. In this blog, we’ll discuss what you need to do to form a MAS Contractor Teaming Arrangement, including how to put together a CTA agreement.

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.