2021 is expected to be a strong year for mergers and acquisitions. Since mergers and acquisition (M&A) trends took a hit during the pandemic, M&A activity is starting to ramp up, and 2021 is already proving to be a busy year. In the high-financed, fast-paced world of mergers and acquisitions, one aspect of the deal that is often over-looked or misunderstood, is contract novation. Many people unfamiliar with the federal market don’t realize that if you buy a government contractor, their federal contracts may not transfer to the acquirer or new entity. And this can represent a BIG problem if the valuation formula was based on the revenue from those federal contracts.

More updates are coming for GSA contractors—on May 17, 2021, GSA released the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation 47QSMD20R0001 - Refresh # 6. This Solicitation will be accompanied by a Mass Modification (Mass Mod) for all GSA Schedule contractors. Action is required on this Mass Mod, so it’s important you understand what these upcoming changes mean to you as a contractor. Here's what you need to know:

The Biden-Harris Administration intends to heavily invest in our nation’s infrastructure. In March 2021, Biden unveiled the the American Jobs Plan, which will allocate $2 trillion to create more jobs and rebuild the U.S. infrastructure. A significant aspect of the American Jobs Plan is a $621 billion investment in transportation infrastructure, including public transit, modernizing roads, bridges, and highways, and electric vehicles (EVs). Electric vehicles are a large part of Biden’s plan—he wants to build a network of EV charging ports across the nation’s highway system and electrify the federal government’s transportation fleet.

When you decide to bid on a federal contract solicitation, you are signing up for a substantial commitment. Proposals are crucial to a GSA Schedule contractor’s business development, but they are not an easy win. Drafting a proposal takes time, resources, and a considerable amount of finances, so it’s only natural that you want to make sure the federal government releases a realistic solicitation and awards contracts fairly. This is what bid protests are for.

When 5G is eventually implemented worldwide, it’s going to revolutionize the way we communicate with each other. However, it’s more than just faster data and downloading speeds on our smartphones. 5G technology has the potential to connect electronic devices and machines so they are all in sync with each other. This opens up a whole new world of potential for industries like the U.S. federal government.

When President-elect Joe Biden took the stage in January and recited the oath of office, he became the 46th president of the United States. With the inauguration comes not only a new president and vice president, but a new administration. This means that policy priorities and spending habits may change, and as a result, so will the government marketplace.