If you have a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, understanding the government buying cycle is both beneficial and essential to your marketing success. This cycle, which is unique to the federal government, influences when and how federal agencies purchase goods and services. Just like with commercial markets, you want to learn more about your customers’ buying habits, budgets, and timeline. If you are more aware of how the cycle works and when spending is ramped up, you can plan your marketing strategy accordingly and have a better chance at winning contracts.

As a government contractor, it’s important to know which sources to turn to when it comes to government requirements and regulations. One rulebook of compliance, especially for contractors in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), a set of regulations that any contractor doing business with the Department of Defense (DoD) must understand and adhere to. For contractors with GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts who often have the opportunity to expand their business into the DoD sector, comprehending DFARS is not just an advantage—it’s necessity.

As a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contractor, it can sometimes seem like a mystery how the “fair and reasonable” pricing determination can be reached. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) outlines parameters for how the federal government analyzes and makes these determinations, but the guidance does allow a certain amount of discretion.

As the New Year approaches, the General Services Administration (GSA) is making some updates with the release of Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refresh #18 and an unexpected #19. While some of these updates are run of the mill changes and additions, GSA has also included some significant changes in these refreshes including altering the minimum sales requirement and incorporating clauses related to Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act (FASCA) Orders. GSA released #18 on Dec 4th and #19 on Dec 6th with subsequent Mass Modifications.

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.