Government Contracting Blog

It’s almost our favorite time of the year—Q4 of federal government’s fiscal year. From July through September each year, the federal government goes on what is essentially a spending spree totaling approximately 1/3 of its annual discretionary spending. Regardless of the administration, it’s always going to be a quarter full of opportunities as agencies rush to spend the remainder of their budgets. However, the administration does drive where spending will be the most popular. Let’s look at where GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contractors can expect to see a focus on procurement in Q4 and beyond.

Earlier this month, the White House published their recommendations for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request. This request was sent to Congress to keep in mind as funds are allocated for the FY2026 budget. This year, the request rings in at $1.7 trillion, 22.6% percent below current FY2025 spending. The White House is requesting cuts to civilian spending and increases to defense spending, which aligns with their current priorities. Let’s dive into the budget request so we can get a sneak peek into what federal government spending trends could look like for FY2026.

The Trump administration’s actions on foreign trade has dominated the news cycle for weeks now, largely due to the tariffs announced on foreign goods. However, the scope of the administration’s “America First Trade Policy” goes beyond just foreign tariffs. It is a set of Executive Orders (EO) that utilize existing legislation, namely the Buy American Act (BAA), to change the way that the federal government procures goods and services, with an emphasis on prioritizing domestic goods over foreign goods.

Since taking office, President Trump has signed multiple Executive Orders (EOs) impacting federal procurement and the operations of popular contract vehicles. For example, a recent EO was signed to consolidate many Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) under GSA, due to the agency’s expertise in managing federal procurement through the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) and other contracts.

The mission continues to modernize and streamline the federal procurement process—GSA announced this week they are launching their OneGov Strategy, a new initiative helping agencies gain access to IT tools. This announcement follows several Executive Orders (EO) shifting how the federal government acquires goods and services, including Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.0 and the EO expanding GSA’s role in procurement. Let’s review what we know about the OneGov Strategy and what it’ll look like for contractors and buyers.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)—the federal government’s ultimate guide for acquisition—is a 2,000+ page rulebook (some may use as a doorstop it’s so large) that has become a hot topic of conversation in the Trump Administration. A recent Executive Order (EO) directs relevant procurement officials to review the FAR and come up with FAR 2.0 within 180 days. The order also requests a thorough review of the federal procurement system to see where it can be made more streamlined and efficient.