The day might finally be here—the Department of Defense (DoD) plans to publish a rule to start implementing Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). After the DoD reshaped the CMMC program to better fit small businesses 2 years ago, industry and contractors alike have been anxiously awaiting a final rule to formally implement CMMC.

This week, Congress passed its $874.2 billion defense policy bill, better known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This highly anticipated bill sets the funding and policy agenda for the Department of Defense (DoD) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The DoD is currently operating under a stopgap funding bill, barring the agency from starting most new initiatives or moving forward with many acquisitions, so once signed by President Biden, this bill will enact a series of significant changes within the DoD.

There are a lot of terms, processes, and requirements to remember when it comes to GSA Schedule acquisition, but in this blog, we're going to focus on pricing, specifically determining what is "fair and reasonable." When establishing a GSA Schedule contract, the first thing to note is that the federal government intends to obtain equal or better pricing. Why do they need to do this? Well, GSA has determined the prices under the GSA Schedule to be "fair and reasonable." During GSA Schedule negotiations, if the proposed prices are not deemed “fair and reasonable,” the offer can be either denied or negotiated further to meet the standards of the GSA. So, who determines "fair and reasonable" pricing and how do you ensure you are proposing the right numbers? Let’s discuss the highlights so that your offer can be successful during the contract review process.

Acquiring and managing a GSA Schedule contract is full of decisions--first you have to decide if it's right for your company, then 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 decisions may have also prompted you to ask yourself if you need to hire a GSA consultant to help you throughout the entire process, because it's lengthy and can be overwhelming.

For new and experienced GSA Schedule contract holders, juggling the task of acquiring and managing orders from another larger purchaser like the government can be daunting. Especially when there's a specific number of sales you need to meet to comply with the minimum sales requirement.

Recently, the Department of Defense (DoD) proposed to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to permanently authorize and modify the DoD’s Mentor Protégé Program. This program, sometimes referred to as the MPP, helps small businesses get their foot in the door and expand their experience in the defense industrial base.