Government Contracting Blog

The day has arrived—after over 5 years of development and delays, the Department of Defense (DoD) has released the final rule for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). It was released for public comment in October, and went into effect on December 16, 2024, establishing the CMMC program and process into law. No updates were made during the public comment period. Let’s dive into what this rule entails and the timeline for implementation so you can be prepared for this new requirement.

Acquiring and managing a GSA Schedule contract is full of decisions--first you have to decide if it's right for your company, then figure out how you are going to handle submitting the GSA Schedule offer, and lastly, how you will effectively manage your contract once it's awarded. These considerations may have led you to an ever bigger decision that may rest outside your company: Will you need to hire a GSA Schedule consultant? Most companies, unless they have extensive experience with government sales or have the resources to higher a Full Time Employee with the appropriate knowledge, consider hiring a consultant at some point throughout the GSA Schedule process.

Managing your GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is not an easy task. There are many items to keep up with, which require organization, knowledge, and most of all, time. A large part of maintaining your GSA Schedule is making sure your contract is updated through various compliance requirements. In this blog, we have outlined the top 10 most forgotten updates that contractors miss when managing their GSA Schedule contract. Read further to avoid skipping over any important compliance and to be well prepared for your next Contractor Assessment Visit (CAV).

When we use the word DOGE, we aren’t talking about the cryptocurrency named after a meme. We’re talking about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a presidential advisory commission that President-elect Trump will make a reality when he gets into office. Led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the purpose of DOGE is to streamline federal government by reducing inefficiencies, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies. Since this initiative will affect spending, it’ll inevitably affect the public sector world. Let’s talk about DOGE and what changes it could bring to government contractors.

GSA plans to end the year with another update to the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation. Refresh #23 will be the third refresh of 2024, and includes several updates to both the entire solicitation as well as specific Large Categories and Special Item Numbers (SINs). The Refresh is expected to be released in December. Let’s review these updates so you are prepared when the Mass Modification is released.

One of the frustrating things we have witnessed over the years as GSA Schedule consultants is ensuring our client has an active SAM.gov registration at the time of offer submission, but the SAM registration lapses or gets close to expiring because GSA (or another federal agency) takes several months to review the contract. Since the System for Award Management (SAM) site has recently become infamous for being backed up and causing delays in contract submissions and awards, the federal government is creating an interim rule to resolve this issue.