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.
Overview of the FY2025/2026 Budget Under the Trump Administration
The Trump Administration has published over 150 Executive Orders (EOs) to date, many of them directing federal agencies to become more efficient in their processes and identify places to cut spending. This doesn’t mean we will see a major dip in MAS Program activity. One of these EOs significantly expanded the General Services Administration (GSA) to cover the federal procurement of most common goods and services, and take in several Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs).
This is good news for GSA contractors, as we can expect to see spending flourish under the MAS program, but it also means contractors may have to be more patient with acquisition and contract maintenance timelines as GSA prepares to effectively quadruple in size.
With this information, let’s zoom in on areas we anticipate spending to remain strong and areas we will most likely see a decline in Q4 and into FY2026. On a high level, we expect spending in the defense and homeland security sectors to increase significantly, while civilian programs such as the Education, Housing, and Health Programs will see a reduction.
In the FY2026 budget request and in recent policies, the White House has proposed significant increases in the Defense Industrial Base including a 13% boost for the DoD and nearly 65% for the Department of Homeland Security focusing on border security and immigration enforcement. On the other hand, there was a proposed 23% decrease in non-defense discretionary spending.
Key Spending Priorities Relevant to GSA Contractors
To be cliché and use the phrase “follow the money,” where do GSA Schedule contractors want to be looking for opportunities in Q4? Here’s what we think:
Defense and Military Modernization
This one is no surprise (and not just because we’ve already mentioned it twice in this blog). The Trump Administration is increasing funding and refocusing current budgetary efforts on homeland security and the military.
This has the potential for contracts in areas such as:
- Cybersecurity
- Advanced weaponry accessories
- Support for missile defense systems
- Surveillance technology
- Construction of border facilities
- Security services
If you are subscribed to our weekly bids and awards email, you can see a lot of opportunities and awards coming out already from the DoD and adjacent agencies.
IT Modernization
This is wrapped up partially in defense spending above, but the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) want to refocus many agency efforts to IT and modernization to make federal government systems more efficient and save taxpayer dollars. This is not new to contractors, but still worth keeping an eye on as the priorities of IT modernization look different. For example, the Trump Administration wants to continue the development of Artificial Intelligence, but put less of a focus on the guardrails and more on the advancement.
Energy Sector Shifts
The Trump Administration has made clear it wants to shift the funds for the Department of Energy. This includes focusing more on areas like fossil fuel extraction technologies, nuclear reactor development, and critical mineral exploration. We can expect to see a decrease in opportunities related to renewable energy funding.
How GSA Schedule Holders Can Be Ready for Q4
Now that we have some insight into spending trends for Q4 and beyond, let’s talk a little bit about how you can prepare your GSA Schedule for this season and make sure you are finding relevant opportunities.
- Make sure your contract is ready: this includes ensuring your pricelist is up to date, adding any necessary products/services, submitting modifications early to avoid delays, tracking and submitting your GSA sales, and updating your POC information.
- Know which sites to monitor: Do you know where to find upcoming Q4 opportunities? We suggest you are tuned into SAM.gov, GSA eBuy, and any other third party sites you may use to check for daily releases.
- Keep Track of the Purchase Order (PO) Portal: Government buyers will also be ordering from sites like GSA Advantage!. Make sure you are tracking these orders in the PO Portal, logging live updates on your shipping, and maintaining a good contractor scorecard.
- Assemble a dedicated business development team: Q4 is full of opportunities, but that also means it’s going to be fast paced and time-consuming. Make sure your team is ready to track and respond to these solicitations. Sometimes it’s a fast turnaround.
Need Help with Your GSA Schedule?
If Q4 seems both exciting and incredibly overwhelming to you, you’re not alone. Our own BD team is working hard to prepare for the chaotic 3 months ahead. Many companies, especially small businesses, may not have the bandwidth or experience to put a team together to ensure your contract is ready, and you are tracking all the upcoming opportunities. If you need assistance managing your GSA Schedule, or would like proposal support, reach out to one of our consultants today. We would be happy to help you find the right path for your company.
