As we prepare to enter 2025, the landscape of government contracting continues to evolve, shaped by several factors including shifts in political leadership, technological advancements, and changing federal priorities. While the upcoming presidential administration plays a pivotal role in shaping policies, there are broader trends that contractors should watch closely. As we know, it can take months to years for new policies to have their full effect, so continuing resolutions from 2024 will still have a lasting impact. Here are the top emerging federal contracting trends we expect to see in 2025.

Over the past 2 months, GSA has been releasing both socioeconomic small business and unrestricted awards for the OASIS+ contract. OASIS+ is a professional services Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) replacing GSA’s One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) contract vehicle. OASIS+ will support GSA’s Federal Acquisition (FAS) Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC). In this blog, we’ll talk about the recent updates and everything you need to know about this contract.

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: Will you need to hire a GSA Schedule consultant?

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.