Government Contracting Blog

GSA is on a roll with Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Solicitation Refreshes. Refresh #21 is anticipated to be released in May 2024. This refresh will be followed by a Mass Modification, giving contractors 90 days to review the changes and accept the Refresh. If you’ve read a blog or two about our refreshes before, you know the drill—let’s review the changes we expect to see in this Refresh and what it may mean to you as a contractor.

If you’re doing business with the federal government or plan to soon, your organization should have some basic knowledge of what the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is and where to find certain clauses. The FAR is a complex document that outlines a set of rules and regulations for the federal government’s purchasing process. In other words, the FAR is essentially the primary rule book for executive agencies looking to acquire products and services.

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.

A new Final Rule will introduce the support of price competition in AbilityOne Program contracts. The Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, which operates as the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, published a Final Rule in late March clarifying the Commission’s authority to consider different pricing methodologies. The rule went into effect on April 22, 2024. Since the Program’s inception in the 1930s, price hasn’t been a major factor in awards, unlike the rest of the government contracting world. Let’s talk about this new legislation and how it impacts government contractors.

Small businesses are widely recognized for their significant contribution to the economy, as they continuously create job opportunities. If you're a small business owner and worried about competing with larger corporations in the government contracting world, don't be discouraged. Small businesses have the advantage of small business set-asides, which help them to compete. In this blog post, we'll explore everything you need to know about small business set-asides, from what they are and how to qualify for them, to how to successfully secure these assistance programs.

Recently, the General Services Administration (GSA) released a webinar covering policy landscape in the government Q2 of FY24. During this webinar, they explored various topics relevant to current and prospective GSA contractors. In this blog, we’ll discuss changes that were implemented in Q2 FY24 and what’s expected in Q3 FY24 (April through June), such as robo mods, TDR changes, and new regulations regarding Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM).