Welcome to Fiscal Year 2023!  We have no government shutdown (yet) and all federal agencies remain open for business.  While your office may feel like 5^th Avenue after a ticker-tape parade, there are still things that need to get done to be prepared for what comes next.  Here are three areas on which all contractors may want to focus.  1.  Tying Up Lose Ends:  The fiscal year ended on a Friday night and today is the first workday since.  While you usually can’t take any orders today that are funded with FY’22 money, you can clear up questions and discrepancies with last-minute orders you received prior to the star of October.  Don’t understand a contract clause that was added to the PO?  Check it out and see if it can be removed.  Nail down delivery times and ensure that all order you have can be fulfilled per the terms of the order.  Chickens may not hatch unless you take proper care.

2.  Renew Annual Service Agreements, Leases, & Rentals:  The first day of the new fiscal year can be just as busy for contractors as the last day of the old one.  Today is the day when many agencies renew their annual agreements for items such as maintenance agreements, software license renewals, subscription renewals, and more.  Extensions may not be able to be made for an entire year thanks to the CR, but contractors should take the steps necessary today to ensure that they get paid this year for agreements started in previous years.

3.  Breath Deep:  The federal busy season is often a time of intense action and stress.  While the government remains open for business, it’s a fact that acquisition activity drops off precipitously over the course of this week.

It’s a great time to take a needed break and, indeed, several of the government contacts you work with will be doing just that as well.  Government business is a livelihood, not a life.  There must be some roses that bloom in October that need to be smelled.