At a time where our economy is dealing with inflation, supply chain issues, and global conflict, you may be wondering how to navigate this rocky and unpredictable market. The commercial market has seen dramatic shifts over the past few years, with certain industries booming and others falling flat. However, one marketplace has remained fairly steady throughout all the fluctuation--the public sector. As one of the biggest buyers in the world, the federal marketplace is always bustling, even during times of economic uncertainty.

The Army recently announced their plans to develop a software development support services contract exceeding $1 billion over a 10-year period of performance. This contract is anticipated to be a Multiple-Award, Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) vehicle with the ability to rapidly award task orders for software development requirements across the Army. In late May, the Army released a Request for Information (RFI) for the New Modern Software Development IDIQ and will take into consideration responses from industry. This could be a huge opportunity for software development contractors, so let’s dive into what we know about this upcoming IDIQ so far.

Maintaining your GSA Schedule is not only a key to success as a contractor, but it’s essential to keeping your contract for up to 20 years. One fear our clients come to us with is losing their GSA Schedule—while this doesn’t happen with minor infractions, a series of missteps can add up. Losing your GSA Schedule can of course significantly impact your business, but understanding the reasons behind cancellations can help you avoid this pitfall.

The federal government uses various thresholds to determine who qualifies for government procurement opportunities. One key threshold in this context is the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). If you’ve familiarized yourself with the similarities and differences between the Micro-Purchase Threshold (MPT) vs. the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), we strongly encourage you to follow up more about the SAT as there are a lot of contract rules in accordance to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). This blog post defines the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), its purpose, its impact on small businesses, and what you should do when searching for opportunities within the set threshold.

As government Q4 approaches, businesses with GSA Schedules are gearing up for a busy period full of potential awards and increased contracting dollars. Federal agencies typically spend roughly 1/3 of their annual spending during this time, offering unique opportunities for those prepared to capitalize on them. However, one issue contractors can run into is realizing their pricing is out of date, or they don’t have enough time to submit a modification to add a crucial product or service to go after these awards. So, as we enter Q4 in the next month and as you enter the next Fiscal Year, how can you prepare your GSA Schedule so you are ready to respond to any relevant opportunity that comes up?

It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year—if you look at the numbers, government Q4 (July through September) of each year are by far the busiest months for government contractors. In recent years, Q4 of the government fiscal year has accounted for roughly 1/3 of all government contract dollars awarded throughout the year. This increase in spending can be attributed to an array of reasons including later award dates due to delays in budget availability, greater negotiation leverage, and adapting to potential new requirements that may factor into a particular procurement.