Government Contracting Blog

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.

As the U.S. is preparing for a change in presidency in January, GSA Schedule contractors, businesses, and citizens alike may be wondering how this shift in the nation’s leadership could impact government spending trends. With the incumbent party leaving office and a new party entering, agencies might experience potential increases or decreases in their budgets and a different emphasis on future initiatives than the previous four years. While current government Fiscal Year (FY) budgets for agencies have been set, a new president can influence the type of contract opportunities emerging from agencies and how their funds will be directed depending on the polices the Trump administration plans to enforce.

When we use the word DOGE, we aren’t talking about the cryptocurrency named after a meme. We’re talking about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a presidential advisory commission that President-elect Trump will make a reality when he gets into office. Led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the purpose of DOGE is to streamline federal government by reducing inefficiencies, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies. Since this initiative will affect spending, it’ll inevitably affect the public sector world. Let’s talk about DOGE and what changes it could bring to government contractors.

If you’re a business that is interested in selling to the federal government, the first thing you will need is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). UEI numbers are distributed through and maintained by SAM.gov, the System for Award Management. Once assigned, your UEI is permanent; even if your corporation’s ownership or location changes, the associated UEI will remain the same.

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.

Major change could be coming to the public sector soon—the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a proposed rule recently that could greatly impact small businesses. The proposed rule would expand the “Rule of Two” to apply to orders under Multiple Award contracts. Comments on this proposed rule are due by December 24, 2024, so let’s talk about this rule, what it means, and how it can impact small business contractors.